EKWULOBIA/Anambra: The Youth on Ground Progressive and Mentorship Initiative (YOG), a non-governmental organisation, has taken free medical services to residents of Ekwulobia and surrounding communities in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, with plans to extend the initiative to other parts of the country.
The Founder and National Coordinator of YOG, Dr. Obioma Nwuba, disclosed this on Thursday during a two-day medical outreach organised by the organisation in Ekwulobia, where he also expressed concern over the prevalence of malaria and typhoid fever, particularly among people with limited access to healthcare.
Nwuba said the initiative was designed to bring basic healthcare closer to underserved communities, especially rural women and young people who might be unable to afford medical consultations, tests and treatment.
According to him, the turnout at the outreach demonstrated the level of demand for accessible healthcare services in communities where financial constraints often prevent residents from seeking timely medical attention.
“Most of these people are primarily here because of malaria and typhoid, and some have had it for weeks and months and because of financial constraints, they have been unable to treat themselves.
“So, they suffer in silence. I urge other organisations to join us in conducting free medical outreaches, especially in the area of malaria and typhoid,” he said.
Nwuba urged Nigerians not to dismiss persistent symptoms of malaria or typhoid as minor illnesses, particularly during the rainy season, and encouraged people to seek appropriate medical attention when they become unwell.
He said the outreach was primarily focused on the diagnosis and treatment of malaria and typhoid, but had been expanded through partnerships with the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA) and the Knowledge Network for Disease Control and Vigilance (KNCV).
The partnerships, he said, enabled participants to access screening, counselling and other services relating to tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, and HIV.
“The initiative is taking healthcare services to the grassroots and supporting people who cannot ordinarily afford medical care,” Nwuba said.
He also called for greater participation by private organisations, philanthropists and other stakeholders in healthcare delivery, arguing that government alone could not meet all the needs of the population.
“There is no country that was built by the government alone. Most of the big ideas were nurtured and driven by the private sector,” he said.
Nwuba urged organisations to complement government programmes and contribute to efforts aimed at improving healthcare access and supporting the objectives of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Anambra Coordinator of YOG, Mr. Azubuike Okafor, said the two-day outreach was designed to reach about 2,000 patients.
Okafor said the Ekwulobia programme was part of a wider plan by the organisation to take free healthcare interventions to underserved communities in different parts of Nigeria.
“We had the first one in Abuja and we are here now in Anambra State. From here, we are moving to Edo State and later Kaduna too; and we will keep extending it as our capacity can carry,” he said.
The Anambra State Government had earlier announced that the Ekwulobia outreach would provide free screening for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, typhoid and hepatitis B and C, alongside health education, treatment and medications for eligible participants.
The programme is the latest in a series of health interventions undertaken by YOG. In March, the organisation conducted a similar malaria and typhoid-focused medical outreach in the Federal Capital Territory, where it said more than 400 residents benefited.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Mary-Jane Okpara, who received free malaria medication during the Anambra outreach, expressed appreciation to the organisation for bringing healthcare services closer to residents of the community.
