Anambra Government Laments Low Usage Of Mosquito Nets

Despite giving out 3.8 million Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) free to the Anambra State residents, the State Government has lamented the low usage of mosquito nets in the state

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike said that the government was not happy with the development.

Obidike made this assertion during debriefing and submission of the final report on the exercise to the state government by the Malaria Consortium on Tuesday in Awka.

Malaria Consortium, an International Non-governmental Organisation, distributed more than 3.8 million ITNs across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state, to tackle the malaria scourge.

The distribution was done in partnership with the state government and National Malaria Elimination Programme, with funding from Givewell Open Philanthropic Foundation.

Obidike said, “Keeping the nets without sleeping inside them defeats the aim.

“As a government, we are not happy with the low percentage of people who after collecting the nets had yet to commence sleeping inside them.

 “The life span of the nets is between three and four years and it is in your interest you start using them now.”

He added, “Using the nets would reduce the death of infants, pregnant mothers and people with weak immunity, as well as loss of man-hour due to malaria and related diseases."

The commissioner appreciated the meticulous handling of the ITN distribution, including the use of technology during the exercise by the Malaria Consortium.

“My governor is glued to the usage of technology in governance and he wants the state to know more about the technological devices used by your organisation in the distribution of the nets in Anambra,” Obidike said.

Speaking, the Campaign Manager, Malaria Consortium in Anambra, Laitan Adeniyi, said 3. 85 million ITNs were distributed to 7.43 million residents of the state on a door-to-door basis.

According to her, 8503 personnel were engaged and trained across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state for the ITN distribution.