The Akwa Ibom government is to distribute over 3.7 million long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets as part of measures to fight malaria in the state.
The exercise is to be carried out in collaboration with other partners, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Augustine Umoh, the state commissioner for health, a professor of gynecology and obstetrics, who made this known in Uyo, said a committee has been set up to drive a hitch-free distribution of the nets across the state.
Umoh commended the donor agency and other critical partners for teaming up with the government to check the spread of malaria in the state.
He specifically lauded vaccine manufacturers for their efforts towards developing a vaccine for malaria which, if successful, will boost the malaria elimination programme.
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“Malaria is one illness that had been with us for a long time and we are working hard to eliminate it.
“One of the ways of eliminating malaria is the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets.
“In Akwa Ibom State, we distributed these nets sometime ago. Many people are using them, but a few are using them wrongly. “What we are doing now is to try another round of nets distribution.
“We have gotten partners who have sunk in millions of dollars and we believe that within the next three or four months, we should take delivery and be able to distribute at least 3.7 million nets. To this effect, we have constituted a committee, which was inaugurated on June 4 to plan the distribution of the nets.”
The commissioner called on the people to clean their environment, remove stagnant water and cut down leaves where mosquitoes hide as part of measures to ensure a malaria-free society.
