The Anambra State Government has commenced the mass campaign on the distribution of 3.8 million insecticide-treated nets across the 21 Local Government Areas of the State.
The distribution campaign organised by the state’s Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Malaria Consortium Nigeria was flagged off in Awka, by Gov. Charles Soludo.
The Governor who noted that the zero-malaria campaign was to help residents understand the significance of the net intervention to prevent malaria deaths in the state, mentioned that the nets would improve the health of children and mothers by reducing malaria burden, morbidity, and mortality across the state.
He urged mothers, traditional and community leaders to help mobilise households during the distribution exercise in their communities.
“I want to urge residents to complement the government’s efforts by imbibing healthy living and environmental hygiene to reduce or kick-out malaria in Anambra,” Soludo said.
Also speaking, Dr. Kolawole Maxwell, West and Central Africa Programmes Director of Malaria Consortium, said the organisation secured funding of about 14 million dollars to procure and commence the distribution of the nets.
Maxwell said the funds which were from international philanthropists, was in response to a cost-effective malaria intervention in the state.
Also speaking, Dr. Perpetua Uhomoibhi, National Coordinator, National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), said that Anambra was one of the seven states in the country to benefit from the malaria intervention programme.
The key highlights of the occasion were the demonstration of how to use the nets, the decoration of the wife of the Governor, Mrs. Nonye Soludo as the Mosquito Net Ambassador in the state, and the symbolic distribution of the nets to pregnant women.