Niran Odufayo
Geneith Pharmaceutical Ltd., an indigenous pharmaceutical company, has launched a health quiz competition targeting secondary and tertiary students as part of its renewed efforts to raise awareness and promote malaria prevention in Nigeria.
The initiative aims to harness the passion, creativity, and influence of young people to drive meaningful change in their communities and support the elimination of malaria — a disease that continues to claim lives across Africa.
Speaking during the virtual launch of the initiative, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, described the youth-focused competition as a timely and strategic intervention in Nigeria’s ongoing battle against malaria.
Represented by the Director of Public Health, Dr. Godwin Tandom, Professor Pate expressed concern that many African countries, including Nigeria, are still struggling to eradicate malaria despite decades of interventions.
“Nigeria hosted the rollback malaria and just last year, the minister hosted another meeting which brought the entire world in the medical field to Abuja and that was rethinking malaria in Nigeria.
“One of the nine agenda the minister mentioned was community involvement and it rings clearly in the objectives of the competition with the involvement of children and we should also know that malaria is not just a health issue, we look at it from the point of our failure, that is sickness, but it is an infrastructural problem, environmental problem and the consequences could be emotional, economic and several others,” he said.
The organiser of the Geneith General Health Competition, Mr. Emmanuel Umenwa, emphasized that the quiz contest is more than just an academic exercise; it is part of a broader national campaign to reposition public health and elevate the fight against malaria.
“We must reinvest in our public health infrastructure, if only to effectively confront a disease that claims lives every minute. This will involve ensuring that necessary resources – financial, human and technological – are strategically allocated to combat this preventable illness. It will also require investing in community health programs, enhancing access to medical care, and ensuring that sufficient funding is directed towards malaria prevention and treatment initiatives. But that is not all.”
According to Mr. Umenwa, the battle against malaria also demands a shift in thinking and approach.
“Our aim therefore is to use the Geneith Health Competition to encourage young minds to think outside the box with a view to developing new ideas, concepts and strategies for malaria prevention. This will involve leveraging technology, the social media, and community engagement to raise awareness and drive positive change as the target of the initiative is also to reignite the passion for the battle against malaria.”
He further explained that the initiative is designed to rekindle collective commitment, especially among the youth, who are not only the leaders of tomorrow but also the change-makers of today.
“By motivating them to take action, we will be empowering them to become champions of public health, who will assist to spread the message of prevention and awareness in their communities.
Having taken the above actions, we will also ensure that we stay committed to battle against malaria, if only to see that it is completely defeated. By reinforcing our dedication through continuous engagement, collaboration, and advocacy, we will ensure that we maintain momentum in the battle until we achieve a malaria-free Nigeria.”
Also speaking, the Team Lead of CEOAfrica, Prince Cletus Ilobanafor, highlighted the financial and educational incentives attached to the competition, noting that the initiative not only rewards creativity but also empowers Nigerian youth as public health advocates.
“One billion Naira will be given away in the competition with the students who win will go away with over four hundred million Naira while over six billion Naira will go into gifts for the competition.”
He added that the initiative is the first of its kind in Africa, aimed at encouraging youth ownership of the fight against malaria through educational and interactive means.
With strong backing from stakeholders and partners, the organisers expressed confidence that the competition will leave a lasting impact on public health advocacy and youth empowerment across the country.