By Mohammed Dalah Lawan
Yobe State Government and Federal Ministry of Health in partnership with the Malaria Consortium, Catholic Relief Services and other partners with support from the World Bank and Roll Back Malaria has commenced distribution of 2.2m Insecticide Treated Nets, ITN, in the state.
Flagging off the distribution in Damaturu the state capital, the Yobe State Governor Hon Mai Mala Buni stated that the program is part of his administration’s determination to accelerate drives in line with the Federal Government’s agenda toward achieving the set goals of eliminating malaria in Nigeria.
Governor Mai Mala Buni who was represented at the occasion by his Deputy Idi Barde Gubana explained that the distribution of the Insecticide Treated Nets was aimed at safeguarding the people from the scourge of malaria disease.
Governor Buni appealed to the media to create more awareness and enlightenment among the citizens.
The Governor commended the Federal Government and the development partners for the support.
He, therefore, called on the people to make judicious use of the net distributed.
In a speech, The Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ehanire represented by the Chief Medical Director, Federal Medical Center Nguru, Dr Adamu Abdullahi, said the use of insecticide nets has been one of the key strategies adopted for the prevention and elimination of malaria in the country by the Federal and Yobe state governments.
He also called on the traditional and religious leaders to encourage people in the community to sleep inside the net every night.
The State Commissioner Ministry of Health Dr Lawan Gana said that part of the interventions to address the malaria situation in Nigeria is the mass distribution of Insecticidal Treated Nets, as being proven to be effective prevention of malaria globally.
Dr Gana pointed out that the Yobe State Government in collaboration with the development partners concluded the planning activities in all the 17 local governments for the distribution of over 2.2m ITNs donated to the state by the global funds in a bit to replace 2 million nets that were distributed in 2019.
In his remarks, the representative of the malaria consortium Dr Kolawale Maxwell said sleeping inside a treated mosquito net is effective for malaria control and reiterated the organisation’s commitment to achieving universal health coverage in the state.
Earlier in a welcome address, Executive Secretary Yobe state Primary Health Care Management Board, Dr Babagana Kundi Machina said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this time approach of nets distribution would be house to house to avoid gathering more people in the same place.
He further explains that the net must be hung under the shade for at least twenty-four hours for the first time before sleeping inside.
