ANTI MALARIA TREATED NETS FOR OGUN RESIDENTS

Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) saves lives.

As part of efforts to scale up the control of malaria disease in Ogun, the State Government  is distributing 3.1million Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) to its residents.

The initiative is in partnership with the Society for Family Health (SFH), National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), with funding support from the Global Fund Malaria Project.

The state Director of Public Health Department, Ministry of Health, Dr. Festus Soyinka disclosed this during a media engagement in Abeokuta.

He revealed that the distribution would include household registration and mobilisation which will be categorised in two phases, between Thursday, October 31 and Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

The mass distribution of the Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs would run from Tuesday, November 19 to Saturday November 24, 2024.

Dr. Soyinka, represented by the Head of the Health Promotions Unit, Dr. Olubukola Omotoso, noted that focus would be on rural dwellers due to their higher risks of contracting malaria, stating that the Ministry had intensified efforts among relevant stakeholders to ensure the campaign is highly productive in the state.

"There is empirical evidence of the high effectiveness of ITNs in malaria control. We believe that if we can achieve our objective of ensuring that for every two persons, there is one bed net to sleep inside, the burden of malaria would drop significantly in our state’’, he said.

Describing the media as a strategic partner, the Director called on journalists and other media practitioners to help create awareness for the campaign, to boost demand generation for the distribution.

Also speaking, the Project Director, SFH and Team Lead for ITN Distribution in the state, John Ocholi, revealed that 1,400 distribution centers across the state had been designated for the ITNs for the campaign to be effective, adding that Ogun had 30 percent of ITN usage in Nigeria.

Ocholi emphasised that the federal government and the Global Fund Malaria Project, were desirous to join the malaria-free countries like Egypt and Cape Verde, among others, saying residents in six Local Government Areas, including Ewekoro, Ifo, Odeda, Obafemi-Owode, Sagamu, and Ado-Odo/Ota, were encouraged to deposit their damaged and old nets before receiving new ones.

Reacting, one of the participants, Mr. Saheed Adeola, described the planned campaign as a good development, calling on the implementing agencies to close the gaps observed in past campaigns in the interest of the people of the state, especially children.