An African- American led non-governmental organisation, Africare, has introduced a new device for effective test of malaria infection in Akwa Ibom.
The device called Deki Reader is brought in by Africare in collaboration with a Canadian technology company, Fio Corporation, and will be used in Akwa Ibom and Rivers communities.
Africare’s Director, Malaria Programme, Dr Patrick Adah, on Wednesday in Ndue Eduo Health Centre in Eket local government area of Akwa Ibom, explained how the device would work.
Demonstrating the use of Deki Reader, Adah said that the device was more effective and reliable than the Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) currently in use in Nigeria.
He said that the device had the advantage of eliminating human error in the reading test results.
Adah said that test results captured by Deki Reader could be accessed by authorised personnel of the ministry of health and other stakeholders in the elimination of malaria in Nigeria.
He said that Africare would commence training of personnel from 30 health facilities on the use of Deki Reader in ExxonMobil host communities of Eket and Ibeno on May 3.
Adah said that the training would involve training of master trainers and another 62 end users to be selected from the two local government areas of Eket and Ibeno.
He said that under Africare-ExxonMobil partnership, his organisation had carried out malaria prevention activities in Eket and Ibeno within Akwa Ibom and also in Bonny and Ogu/Bolo in Rivers.
Speaking on behalf of ExxonMobil, the Occupational Health Manager of Mobil at Qua Iboe Terminal, Eket, Dr Affiong Ben-Edet, thanked Africare for organising the community malaria outreach programme.
“In line with this year’s theme, ExxonMobil is doing all that it can to help ‘End Malaria for Good’.
“In 2015 alone, our efforts reached more than 19 million people in malaria-endemic countries,” Edet said.
She said that the company had over the years distributed 14 million bed nets, administered anti-malarial treatment to 2.5 million persons and also trained 500, 000 health workers.
Edet urged all stakeholders in the fight against malaria to collaborate and work together to “end malaria for good.”
Declaring open the malaria outreach programme, the Chairman of Eket Local Government, Mr Frank Archibong, thanked Africare for piloting the Deki Reader device for efficient malaria test.
He also thanked ExxonMobil for its assistance towards the hosting of the malaria outreach programme in Eket as part of this year’s World Malaria Day celebration.
Archibong called on the community members to come out for the free malaria test and treatment offered at the health centre.
According to reports the community outreach was organised by Africare in collaboration with ExxonMobil to commemorate this year’s World Malaria Day celebration in the community.
