THE Global Fund through the Catholic Relief Services in collaboration with the Taraba Ministry of Health, says it will distribute over two million mosquito treated nets across the state starting from July 19 to July 23.

According to the organisation, this is to help tackle malaria in the state.

Mrs Orizi Nicholas, the Long Lasting Mosquito Net Campaign Manager of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Nigeria, made the disclosure on Wednesday at  a media orientation workshop for journalists in Jalingo.

She said that the media orientation was part of the activities for the distribution exercise.

Nicholas said the distribution would be done in 758 centres across the 16 local government areas of the state for easy accessibility by households.

According to her, through the previous interventions, malaria prevalence rate dropped from 42 per cent in 2010 to 27 per cent in 2015.

Nicholas explained that the chain of activities, which would last for 59 days, would ensure the training of supervisors, who would step down the training at the local level where net cards would be issued to beneficiaries.

She said  that “One Net card was equal to One Net’’ and “No Net card means No Net“ for intending beneficiaries.

In his presentation, Mr Ifeanyichukwu Okpolo, the Demand Creation Consultant for the Catholic Relief Services, Nigeria, said malaria, though a leading public health problem was under reported in the media across the country.

Okpolo implored the media to create awareness to support public sensitisation for the free mosquito nets distribution and sustenance of the net use culture among residents.

“The CRS target is for every community member to be aware of the net distribution and every household to receive and sleep in it for a malaria free Taraba. The nets will last for three years,’’ he said.

Okpolo explained that the campaign, which was being led by the Taraba Ministry of Heath with technical assistance from the Catholic Relief Services and the National Malaria Elimination Programme, would commence registration of beneficiaries on June 29 to July 5.

“Registration and issuance of net cards will commence on June 29 and end on July 5, 2019 and only those with cards can access nets from July 19 to July 23,”  he said.

Earlier, Mr Omo-Eboh Mamudu, the representative of the National Malaria Elimination Programme in the Federal Ministry of Health, urged media practitioners to help give the right message about the malaria campaign to the public.

According to him, mosquitoes remain the greatest enemy to mankind and must be tackled head on.

Mr Jonah Jatau of the Taraba Ministry of Health, said the success of the campaign depended on the quality of information the media would give out to the public.

-NAN

BE

– June 19, 2019 @ 19:05 GMT |