In the neighborhoods of Maroua 3, in the heart of the Far North region, a voice is speaking out with conviction to defend community health: that of ASAFED, the Health Association for Aid to Disadvantaged Women and Children. Under the dynamic leadership of its coordinator, Aminatou Ousmaila, this organization has established itself as a leading player in the fight against malaria.

Recently trained in the use of gender-sensitive communication tools for social and behavioral change, developed as part of the Équité Accès Palu project and deployed by the CSO CADELCO in the Maroua 3 Health District, ASAFED wasted no time in taking action.

On July 8, 2025, it organized a community awareness session in Lougguéo, bringing together more than 50 women around a vital theme: malaria prevention. It was an opportunity to convey essential messages about the right reflexes to adopt, simple actions to protect oneself from mosquito bites, and above all, the central role of women in this fight.

 

 

A few days earlier, on July 3, the OSC had already made a strong impression with the launch of the Women and Girls Empowerment Program for community development in the district. This time, nearly 160 women and girls benefited from a targeted awareness session combining female empowerment and concrete action to reduce the burden of malaria.

This dual commitment, coupled with ASAFED’s strong involvement in raising awareness of SCM (Seasonal Chemoprevention of Malaria), reflects a strong conviction: the fight against malaria is won with and by communities, and women are the driving force behind it. Thanks to the energy and leadership of its Coordinator, and the concrete adoption of SBC tools, ASAFED demonstrates that a well-supported CSO can act, inspire, and transform its environment.

 

 

For Aminatou, coordinator of ASAFED:

“The elimination of malaria in our community will undoubtedly require the active involvement of women in this fight, which has gone on for far too long.”

ASAFED’s concrete commitment to this fight is only just beginning. Future actions promise to be just as inspiring, driven by a slogan that has become clear:

“Together, we will defeat malaria.”