In commemoration of the 2025 World Malaria Day, the Covenant Applied Informatics and Communication Africa Centre of Excellence (CApIC-ACE), Covenant University, in partnership with the Covenant University Community Development Impact Initiative Committee (CU-CDIIC) and the Ado/Odo-Ota Local Government recently organized a one-day health outreach at the Iju Primary Health Centre in Ota, Ogun State.
The outreach, tagged, ‘Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,’ catered to over three hundred Community members, and aimed to raise awareness about malaria prevention; provide free health services, and promote community-based health education.
While flagging off the event, the head of the malaria research group at CAPIC-ACE, Covenant University, Professor Olayemi Akinnola, celebrated the timely intervention of the Center and its partners to ensuring health and well-being to members of the community. She suggested that this kind of outreach should be done more frequently in the community and other communities in the local government. She expressed deep gratitude to the Centre, its partners and Covenant University, noting that the over three hundred community members who came out to be attended to would not have been possible without their support.
In her presentation, Akinnola pointed out the practical strategies for malaria prevention, the importance of early diagnosis, and the role of environmental management in reducing mosquito breeding. She further explained that molecular and microscopy testing will be conducted on all collected blood samples and highlighted some common ailments that were seen in adults such as malaria, cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary infections, and chronic conditions such as hypertension and joint pains. From her observation, rashes and upper respiratory tract infections in children were diagnosed and these were characterized by common cough and catarrh, while a considerable number of the pregnant women had Malaria. These sessions were complemented by hands-on services, including malaria testing, blood pressure monitoring, and general medical consultations.
On behalf of CApIC-ACE, Professor Akinnola appreciated the huge support from Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Medical team, Covenant University medical team, the Covenant University Community Development Impact Initiative Committee (CU-CDIIC) team, CApIC-ACE Associates, Volunteers, the Hebron FM, Covenant University Students and the host community. She appreciated all partners for their support, especially the Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University, Professor Anake and CApIC-ACE Centre Leader, Professor Emeka Iweala, for showing tremendous leadership in making this outreach a huge success.
Also present at the event was the Malaria Vocal Person for Ado-Odo, Ota Local Government, Nurse Busayo Solomon, who also reiterated the importance of early diagnosis and prevention of malaria, especially in pregnant women and nursing mothers. Nurse Solomon, reported that while the event primarily targeted children under five and pregnant women, it successfully reached a broader audience, including youths, nursing mothers, and other adults. She commended the collaborative efforts of CApIC-ACE, CU-CDIIC and the local government, highlighting the range of services from fever and blood pressure checks to rapid diagnostic testing and microscopy as evidence of a well-rounded intervention. She also mentioned that attendees received care packages, medications, and refreshments, reinforcing the outreach’s dual focus on education and relief. After the health talk, participants were promptly lined up for consultations and testing and Mosquito Nets were also distributed to participants.
Other partners who participated in the event was the Federated Genomic (FEDGEN) team. The team introduced the CApIC-ACE FEDGEN PHIS (Public Health Information System), a platform designed to enhance public health literacy by incorporating text-to-text and text-to-speech language translation services, making health information accessible to indigenous communities in multiple languages.
Feedback from key stakeholders indicated that the Ado-Odo Ota community was happy with the care and health materials they received. In an interview with Femi Taiwo, a postgraduate microbiologist and outreach volunteer from CApIC-ACE, he expressed gratitude to God for being a part of those who made the local community members smiled. He explained the importance of being in good health which was fundamental to everything else in a person’s life.
Another interview featured a local attendee who, speaking in Yoruba, shared how the outreach improved his understanding of malaria and emphasized the benefits of the medical services provided.
The World Malaria Day 2025 outreach was successful and impactful. Through expert-led education, accessible medical services, and comprehensive documentation, the event demonstrated the value of collaborative action in combating malaria and advancing community health.
