The Catholic Relief Service (CRS) in conjuction with the Society for Family Health are set to distribute about 2.9million Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN)Â to the people of Osun state.
The effort is in a bid to stem the occurrence of malaria disease in the state under the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP).
Speaking at a workshop organised for media on the distribution of the nets in Osogbo on Monday, the Programme Manager of Catholic Relief Service in the state, Dr. Olusola Adetayo noted that malaria is the most common preventable public health problem in Nigeria which takes a lethal toll of 97% of Nigerians especially children under five years and pregnant women.
He said that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that the best opportunity for scaling up malaria prevention is the use of LLINs which are designed to maintain utmost biological efficacy against mosquitoes.
Adetayo then disclosed that the body would soon flag off the distribution campaign in all the 30 Local Government Areas and the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
He stated that the sensitization campaign on the use of the net would be intensified this time around so that everybody becomes advocate in sleeping inside the LLINs.
He noted that the projected increase in the population of people of the state was responsible for increase in the number of the nets to be distributed this year as against the 2013 exercise adding that the campaign is aimed at making every household in the state to get additional LLINs to enable every member to use the product.
Adetayo who appealed to the people not to allow the huge fund the government had invested into the scheme to go down the drain urged them to use the nets in order to prevent mosquito bite and spread of malaria in the society.
Speaking on the usage of the nets, he said the nets should be aired for 24 hours under the shade before use in order to protect the chemical composition.
He also advised those who would benefit from the nets to wash them with mild soap and not detergent five times a year and 15 times in three years expiration period when they are dirty.
He maintained that regular sleeping inside the net protects one from mosquito bites that spread malaria.
According to him,” Sleeping inside the net ensures sound and undisturbed sleep. You gain health, save life and save money when you hang and sleep inside your net.
“In addition to the direct health, it exerts a huge social and economic burden on our communities and country, billions of naira are lost to malaria annually in form of treatment cost, prevention and loss of man hours.”
Packaged by Bunmi Oladejo
