FMH, Roll Back Malaria To Distribute 1.5m Nets

Over 1.5 million Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs)are to be distributed to various households in Enugu state. This will be done by the National Malaria Programme, Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with Roll Back Malaria, Enugu State.

Disclosing this while briefing newsmen before the commencement of the exercise Tuesday, the state coordinator, mobilisation and official of the National Malaria Programme, Dr Ejembi Emmanuel, explained that the gesture was to protect the people of the state from the bites of mosquitoes with a view to reducing malaria.

Dr Ejimbi disclosed that for crowd control purposes, only females are allowed to come to Distribution Points to redeem the nets, adding  that beneficiaries would be educated on the LLINs benefits as well as how to correctly hang and use them.

While assuring that the misconceptions about the nets would be addressed before the end of the entire exercise, the coordinator advised beneficiaries to spread the nets UNDER A SHADE for a day (24 hours)before use.

He also, warned beneficiaries of the nets not to expose them to direct sunlight, advising each Household to  take their net to the distribution point written on their Net Card to take 2 Nets.

“Women are the only ones allowed to come to Distribution Points to redeem the nets for crowd control purposes .Nets are Free.Beneficiaries will be educated on the LLINs – benefits on how to correctly hang and use LLINs, address any myths and misconceptions,” Dr Ejimbi explained.

According to him,Beneficiaries are to spread the nets UNDER A SHADE for a day (24hours) before use. Nets are not to be exposed to direct sunlight”, he stated.

He continued that One of  the objectives of the LLIN Campaign was to ensure that every household in Enugu  gets 2 free LLINs by the end of March 2011.

The campaign, he went on,  was also aimed at  contributing to the reduction of malaria mortality and morbidity by 50 per cent  by the end of 2011.

Dr Ejimbi further explained that the campaign was also aimed at achieving household usage of LLINs by at least 80 per cent  by the end of this year.