Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State wants residents to comply and cooperate with the distributors of free Long lasting Insecticides Treated Nets who will begin to visit households across the state on this Thursday.
He made the call midweek at the Insecticides Treated Net Campaign flag off, organized by the state Ministry of Health in collaboration with the federal Ministry of Health and the Society for Family Health in Abeokuta.
He urged people to receive the distributors warmly and avail them of all needed informations for easy implementation of the programme, saying that the nets are free, because the government and partners have paid for them.
Represented by his Deputy, Engineer Noimot Salako-Oyedele, he made it known that the distribution which holds between Thursday August 26 and 6th September across the 236 wards of the 20 local governments areas of the state will have the distribution team visiting houses to mobilize and give required nets to households in compliance with COVID-19 protocols.
Maintaining that the government is not unaware of the impact Malaria has on socio-economic activities, education and other aspects of life including poor outcomes in pregnancy, he said the current administration is working with partners to ensure that adequate interventions are deployed towards Malaria elimination in the state.
Governor Abiodun added that the state has taken delivery of 3.7million Insecticides Nets with the support of the Global Fund to fight AIDs, Tuberculosis and Malaria saying Ogun is one of the states in the country that due for replacement Campaign of the ITN this year, having previously benefited from it in 2009, 2014 and 2018.
Meanwhile, the Federal government says it is deploying the use of Technology to monitor the implementation of the distribution of the Insecticides Treated Nets, ITN, Campaign in the country.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire who made this known at the flag off of the ITN replacement in Ogun state on Wednesday said the move was to ensure accountability, quality and efficient delivery.
Represented by the National Malaria Officer, Dr Perpetual Okwomi, the Health Minister noted that this also became imperative to secure a future where the programme data will be easily accessible for review and decision making to become quicker and more effective, since the use of ITN has been adopted as one of the key strategies for the prevention and elimination of Malaria in Nigeria.
In a welcome address, the Ogun state Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker who stated that the current administration in the state places quality healthcare delivery at the front burner of its agenda, added that it is also taking appropriate actions towards ensuring the prevention, treatment and totally eliminate it from the state.
Also speaking the Coordinator, National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr Nelson Eze said Nigeria has continued record progress in Malaria control and elimination, saying that its prevalence is now 15 percent against 42percent.
