*Invests over $2.5m US in five years
By; MKPUMA ENYINNA, Abakaliki
A non-governmental organization known as Transforming Intermittent Preventive Treatment For Optimal Pregnancy (TIPTOP) has said that it has worked with service providers and CHIPS agents to reach over forty-two thousand, seven hundred and fourteen pregnant women with IPTp and have made a substantial investment of over two million, five hundred thousand (2.500,000) US Dollars across 575 communities in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
This was disclosed at a media chat recently at Geneza Hotel Onwe Road, Abakaliki.
TIPTOP project is an innovative, community-based approach that aims to dramatically increase the number of Pregnant Women in malaria-affected countries in sub-Saharan Africa receiving antimalarial treatment,thus saving the lives of thousands of mothers and newborns.
According to the Project Manager, Dr.Bright Clement Orji, the TIPTOP project through the fund provided by Unitaid, the organization was able to train over 346 service providers including Midwives, nurses and CHEWs on the 2016 Federal Ministry of Health/WHO Antenatal care model and 2012 revised IPTp guidelines.
Dr.Orji further said that within the period under review,many community health workers were trained and engaged while 462 volunteers otherwise known as CHIPS agents receive monthly stipends of 5,500 within the last five years.
“In the last 5 years, Jhpiego and Unitaid have made a very substantial investment (a little above two million, five hundred thousand;”2.500,000” US Dollars in Ebonyi State, particularly Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state through the Transforming Intermittent Preventive Treatment For Optimal Pregnancy (TIPTOP) project.
“Through the TIPTOP project and funds provided by Unitaid,we trained over 346 service providers (Midwives, nurses and CHEWs) on the 2016 FMOH/WHO Antenatal care model and 2012 revised IPTPp guidelines.
“Number of Community Health Workers Trained and Engaged: 462 volunteers otherwise known as CHIPS Agents providing Monthly stipends of 5,500 to each of them in the last 5 years.
“Worked with service providers and CHIPS Agents and reached over 42,714 pregnant women with IPTp in 5 years across 575 Communities in Ohaukwu LGA,” he explained.
He also explained that during COVID-19 period, the organization donated Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) to support government’s response to COVID-19 pandemic in order to ensure safety at all levels saying that Nigeria has adopted and included Community IPTp in the National Malaria Strategic Plan(NMSP) which Ebonyi State is part of the success story.
He informed that Ohaukwu LGA witnessed the highest increase estimated at 533% as it rose in HHS from the baseline to endline (11% vs 71.2% and also higher than the TIPTOP target of 50% adding that it is their expectation that the TIPTOP project will be sustained to improve the overall health system of the state.
Responding on behalf of state government, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Umezuruike applauded the efforts of TIPTOP projects in the state in training health care providers and procuring medical equipments to support the already existing ones stating that their activities in Ebonyi State particularly in Ohaukwu Local Government Area, has brought a lot of transformations and has impacted positively in the lives of rural dwellers, saying that Ebonyi State Government will do everything possible to sustain the programme in order to alleviate the plight of the less privileged in the society.
