Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) are a form of personal protection that has been shown to reduce malaria illness, severe disease, and death due to malaria in endemic regions. In community-wide trials in several African settings, they have been shown to reduce the death of children under 5 years from all causes by about 20%.
Bed nets form a protective barrier around people sleeping under them. However, bed nets treated with an insecticide are much more protective than untreated nets.
The insecticides that are used for treating bed nets kill mosquitoes, as well as other insects. The insecticides also repel mosquitoes, reducing the number that enter the house and attempt to feed on people inside. In addition, if high community coverage is achieved, the numbers of mosquitoes, as well as their length of life will be reduced. When this happens, all members of the community are protected, regardless of whether or not they are using a bed net. To achieve such effects, more than half of the people in a community must use LLINs.
To this end, Cross River State Ministry of Health/state Malaria Elimination Programme, USAID/Presidents Malaria Initiative, has disclosed that no fewer than 2.2 million LLINs are to be distributed during the state flag-off on September 2nd 2015 as part of activities marking the state LLINs replacement campaign.
Godson Kingsley National Monitor, National Malaria Elimination Programme, FederaL Ministry of Health Abuja dropped the hint in Calabar, Cross River State recently during a media parley in promoting LLINs replacement campaign and building a net use culture in the state.
According to the National Monitor, Nigeria contributes a quarter of malaria burden in Africa, witH 97% of the total population at risk of having malaria. He said 57 million LLINs have been distributed in all the 36 States and FCT Abuja between 2009-2013. His words “ Available evidence shows that after three years, the insecticide wears off and would no longer be able to kill the targeted vectors”.
“ During the Mass campaign implemented in 2011, 1,159,061 LLINs were distributed and it is important that every community be aware of LLINs replacement campaign next month”.
The National Monitor disclosed that Malaria is caused by a bite from an infected female mosquito which carries a germ that causes malaria which is also very severe and life threatening among children under 5 years, pregnant women and her unborn baby.
MIKE ABANG
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