Three year old Asiya Usman is one of the nine children in her household in Yar-goje, Kankara Local Government Area in Katsina State.

When she was feverish in August 2011, it was more severe than normal and it was during the yearly fasting period of Ramadan. She was so sick and she refused to eat. As usual, her mother rushed to the local chemist to buy Chloroquine syrup. Jamila Usman, the second wife of the house, recalls that sometimes, it costs up to N2000 to treat a child for malaria because the chemist insists that the child be put on drip.

Asiya took the Chloroquine syrup until the intervention of Role Model Mother Zuliehatu Saidu who works under the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) Roll Back Malaria program in the state. Zuliehatu is one of the 527 Role Models trained and supervised by IHVN in Katsina State. With funds from the Global Fund through the National Malaria Control Program, IHVN has been working through mothers who live in the communities to sensitize and encourage women to use the provided Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) for malaria.

Asiya's mother complained to Zuliehatu when the fever did not subside. "Zuliehatu has been coming to advise us about our environment. She also taught us how to use Long Lasting Insecticide Net (LLIN)." According to Jamila, Zuliehatu visits the house at least once in two days to advocate for the use of the free ACT drugs and mosquito treated nets.

Asiya was provided with ACT which she took. "After three days, Asiya started eating" recalls Jamila. "Before, malaria comes and goes but now she is well." "The Role Model Mother has been telling us to use ACT instead of Chloroquine from the Chemist. Now, we see that ACT is better. We are grateful," says Asiya's stepmother, Fatima Saidu.