World Malaria DayMobilising to Save Lives

The Nigerian context

•Nigeria has the second greatest burden of malaria in the world.

•Malaria accounts for 25% of under-5 mortality, 30% childhood mortality and 11% maternal mortality in Nigeria.

•At least 50% of the population will have at least one episode of malaria annually.

•Malaria currently accounts for nearly 110 million clinically diagnosed cases per year, 60% of outpatient visits and 30% hospitalizations, and an estimated 300,000 children die of malaria each year.

The African context•Malaria accounts for 40% of public health expenditure in Africa

•Malaria accounts for 1 in 5 of all childhood deaths in Africa.

•Malaria is both a disease of poverty and a cause of poverty

•Up to 3 million deaths each year – mostly young children under 5 and pregnant women in Africa

•300-500 million cases annually.

•The burden and ills of malaria has created a adverse and devastating impact on the physical, mental and social well being of our people as well as the development of the nations.

The Link to African Diaspora in the UK

………so this is why organisations like NOW & AWWA are needed

What is NOW?

• NOW - The Nigerian Organisation of Women• Founded in 1985, to bridge the gap that exists

between different Nigerian ethnic groups. • Through Nigerian women we collectively deal

with issues of concern to us as black women in Diaspora.

• NOW is an umbrella of Nigerian community – based women’s organisations.

What is AWWA?

• AWWA - The Nigerian Organisation of Women is a member of African Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA).

• Founded in 1985 as a non-profit organisation geared to alleviate poverty, trauma and ill health of African women and children.

• AWWA aims to empower women and provide a forum in which all women can make informed choices about their various concerns.

Working to Save LivesNOW/AWWA Activities

–Monthly meetings–Conferences–Seminars–Workshops–Talks

Working to Save LivesNOW/AWWA Activities

Working to Save LivesNOW/AWWA Activities

Case study

Mobilising to Save Lives

• World Malaria Day does not mean our work is a one off but rather our activities are ongoing.

• We will continue to provide education and understanding of malaria as a global scourge that is preventable and a disease that is curable.

Mobilising to Save Lives

We want our members to become advocates - Beyond education and raising awareness we want members to become active in lobbying for change in policy in the UK and back home.

We will train our members on advocacy and co-ordinate and mobilise people to take action in the fight against malaria.

Connecting to Save Lives

• In order to mobilise our members to become advocates, we recognise that connections need to be made between organisations from/representing the south, like ourselves, and stakeholders from the north.

• Connecting to save lives has been difficult in the past due to the relationships between north and south advocacy being unequal in terms of resources and recognition and moving at different speeds.

• Our contribution is primarily in human resources (contacts in villages, hard to reach areas – the real casualties of malaria) and we hope this will be recognised by other partners.

• We in turn need partners with technical or financial resources to help us in our work to make our members better advocates

This is what we feel we have achieved by joining with this partnership on World Malaria Day - that we are making meaningful connections and finding solutions where all partners are equal.

Thank you for listening!