Nasarawa State Government To Distribute 2.6 Million Mosquito Nets
The government of Nasarawa State is set to distribute 2.6 million mosquito nets to citizens of the State.
This was disclosed by the Acting Malaria Programme Manager in the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, Izzatu Yakubu Akwe when she made a presentation at a one-day advocacy meeting organized by Breakthrough Action Nigeria with leaders of faith-based organizations in the State. The meeting held on Tuesday September 21, 2021 at Ta’al Conference Hotel, Lafia.
According to Izzatu Yakubu Akwe, the distribution of the mosquito nets, which are treated, is part of efforts made by the Nasarawa State Government to control malaria and safeguard the lives of her citizens and it will be in collaboration with the United States Government.
She said that officials of the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health will soon be going round to distribute net cards and collect relevant information from various households.
She therefore charged the clerics to inform their congregants to cooperate with such officials when they come.
Other measures taken by the State Government against malaria, according to the Acting Malaria Programme Manager, include the provision of doses of anti-malaria medication especially to pregnant women and seasonal malaria chemo-prevention.
She called on the religious leaders to play their own part by encouraging their members to take responsibility for their health by properly utilizing the mosquito nets, using mosquito repellents, wearing long sleeve clothing as well as keeping their environments clean.
During a very interactive questions and answers session, the religious leaders asked questions that were mainly on the differences between malaria fever and other kinds of fever as well as the availability of free medication for the treatment of malaria.
Answers were provided by the officials from the State Ministry of Health and those of the organizers, Breakthrough Action Nigeria.
The religious leaders also charged the government officials to make more efforts to enforce environmental sanitation and ensure equitable distribution of the mosquito nets.
They also appealed that a special team should be commissioned to monitor the various health facilities to ensure drugs that should be provided free of charge are not siphoned by greedy health officers.
