The Nation Newspaper

Tag: mosquito nets

  • Kano, society on family health spend N14.2 billion to procure 8.4million mosquito net

    The campaign manager for Society on Family Health, Mr John Ocholi, has disclosed in Kano, that over N14.2 billion has so far been spent on the procurement of 8.4m mosquito treated nets for distribution to the 44 Local Government Areas of Kano State to curtail malaria Scourge in the state.

    Ocholi, and his team who were in the ancient of Kano on an advocacy campaign, to enlighten the Kano people on the advantage of using  mosquito treated nets, said the project was in conjunction with the Kano State government, as  over 33,000 adhoc staff, had been trained and engaged  to carry out an aggressive campaign to the grassroots in the state on the danger associated with malaria scourge.

    According to him : “We have designed a strategy by using technology, whereby citizens will collect cards, which would qualify them for free treated mosquito net  to avoid fake ones been paraded alongside the genuine ones in the markets.

    That is why we do not want the campaign for the elimination of malaria to die via the use of mosquito treated nets.’’Prior to using, the mosquito treated nets, the campaign manager of the project, said the launching will commence on 4th of October, and advised members of the public to ensure using the nets, so as to avoid mosquito bites, which often results to malaria.

    Read Also: World Malaria Day: KEDCO distributes 10, 000 mosquito nets in Kano

    Apart from that, members of the public must ensure to always sleep under treated  mosquito nets, adding that without such measures, they risk malaria, which often results to high rate of infant  mortality in the society.’’

    Mosquito treated nets must not be used, as wrappers or for decoration but only for the use of eliminate mosquitoes, which are the major sources of malaria, which poses serious danger to our infants.

    ’’Our advocacy campaign will be focused on rural dwellers, who are the major beneficiaries through enlightenment on the need to maintain high sense of hygiene and clean environment, in order to avoid stagnant pool of water around them.’’He charged the media to focus more attention on the reportage on the inherent dangers associated, with prevailing  malaria scourge, ravaging the society, which is put at 97 per cent.’

    ’We want every household  in the country to at least have one mosquito treated net, adding that they must allow air pass through the net before using them. Use mosquito treated nets, so as to reduce the burden of malaria, as the nets last for between three and four years.

    ’’When dirty, use mild soap to wash it but not medicated soap, so as to sustain its potency.’’ On a final note, he urged both the Print and Electronic media to provide adequate health publicity, so as to encourage the Private Sector to support the campaign, as part of their corporate social responsibility.

  • Tambuwal and free mosquito nets

    SIR: I saw on Nigeria Television Authority network news, efforts exerted by the Sokoto State government in the fight against the scourge of malaria. I was impressed by the number of mosquito nets procured to be distributed for free in the state by the state government.

    The governor needs to be commended for he also intends to carry out fumigation of open drains and gutters to free such places from mosquitoes. Deaths arising from mosquito bites in Nigeria are alarming. As novel as these strides (nets and fumigation) are in Sokoto, one point this country misses to address in the fight against malaria is the high cost of insecticides. Does Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, all other governors in Nigeria, political persons, and president know how much it cost to buy a can of insecticide in Nigeria? No disrespect but I doubt.

    Do they know that increase in the price of onions in India is always not tolerated by the people there and can force political persons out of office? Onions is a staple food in India, valued by the gentry and peasantry.

    A can of insecticide sells for close to N1000 which can be judiciously put to use for only three or four days. How many people can afford that in Nigeria where to feed is a problem for many families? Why shouldn’t a can of insecticide be sold for NGN100 if we truly want to fight malaria in Nigeria?

    Government with developmental partners can subsidize the cost of production in-country or can subsidize the importation of same. Why not? What is it we enjoy in this country? We don’t have welfarist policies here? The ones in place are misplaced priorities: junketing on government account for religious pilgrimages. I voted for this president to stop it but he couldn’t. A country desirous to fight malaria yet allows merchants the chance to set prices of an important antidote as they deem fit.

    Politicians in Nigeria do not touch base with the people. That’s why they don’t know what truly bother Nigerians the most. Majority of Nigerians are law abiding and don’t care who leads them so long as that person knows the prices of kerosene plus fights against the adulteration of same that has led to the deaths of many when it exploded setting them ablaze, of bread and inspection of same in unhealthy places where they are produced, left for many hours with flies perching on them before they are bagged.

    These politicians don’t know the prices of insecticide, kerosene, bread in Nigeria. They don’t know the cost of a plate of food in a vendor stand. Putting them in the spot by asking if they know how much it cost to rent a house to live in (all shades, from one room apartment etc.) might be a hard job as asking my eight years old son in primary school to write a secondary school examination.

    Why should Nigerians vote these people into offices?

     

    • Simon Abah,

    Port Harcourt.

  • Osun begins distribution of 3m mosquito nets

    Osun begins distribution of 3m mosquito nets

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has renewed his administration’s commitment to promoting healthy living through provision of modern health facilities in hospitals.

    The governor promised to end the malaria scourge caused by mosquitoes.

    Aregbesola, who was represented by Deputy Governor Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, spoke at the inauguration of the replacement campaign of Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park in Osogbo, the state capital.

    At a similar event in 2013, the state distributed 1.6 million treated nets.

    Three million pieces of LLINs anti-malaria mosquito nets to complement the efforts being made in the fight against malaria are to be distributed.

    Aregbesola described malaria as one of the factors mitigating against productivity, besides causing poverty.

    The governor said his administration would not rest in its war against the scourge.

    He said studies showed malaria contributed significantly to poverty because it reduces productivity by as much as 40 per cent and increases household expenditure on drugs and treatment from five to 20 per cent.

    Aregbesola noted that malaria also reduces life expectancy by about 20 years, where it is accompanied by poverty.

    The governor said this informed  his administration’s collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Global Fund, to focus more on prevention of malaria than curing it.

    He said: “In spite of the huge amount governments – federal and states – spend on curative malaria drugs with the support received from the Global Fund, the state still records high rate of malaria cases.

    “This informed the shift to prevent mosquito bites through the use of treated nets by sleeping inside the net and taking other preventive measures, such as discouraging stagnant water in our premises, to reduce the breeding site of mosquitoes in and around our premises.

    “Malaria still claims up to one million lives a year and most of these deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa, a part of the world in which our country is located.  Of this huge number, 75 per cent are children under five years.

    “It is also a known fact that Nigeria alone bears about 25 per cent of Africa’s malaria burden. Deaths from malaria account for up to 11 per cent of maternal mortality (death of expectant mothers up to six weeks after delivery), it is sad to note that 25 per cent deaths among children below one year, 30 per cent of deaths among children under five years and 60 per cent of all hospital presentations are recorded from malaria in Nigeria.

    “These figures leave no one in any doubt as regards the previous challenge the disease poses to us in the country and our state.

    “So, it is in the light of the foregoing, that the state government, in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Health and Global Fund, has thought it fit to focus more on prevention of malaria than curing it. This is in line with an adage, which says that prevention is better than cure.”

  • Residents get 108,000 mosquito nets

    The Head of Administration, Etsako-East Local Government of Edo State, Mr. Albert Elama, said yesterday 108,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets would be distributed to residents.

    He spoke while inaugurating the distribution of free long-lasting insecticide treated nets at Agenebode, the council’s headquarters.

    Elama said the nets were provided free to encourage quality health care delivery at the grassroots.

    “The nets are life-saving ones, as they will reduce mosquito bites and diseases.

    “Etsako-East places premium on health services, as it is an indicator to measure the economic well-being of any nation.

    “I advise families to sleep under nets, to avoid mosquitoes,” he said.

    The primary health care coordinator, Dr. Daniel Dekhina, enjoined people to fight malaria by using treated nets.

    Dekhina, who described malaria as a “harbinger of poverty and death,” urged individuals to maintain good hygiene by cleaning their environment, to keep mosquitoes away.

  • World Malaria Day: Ambode’s wife tasks mothers on prevention

    World Malaria Day: Ambode’s wife tasks mothers on prevention

    Wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode on Thursday advised mothers and mothers-to-be, to do all within their powers to prevent malaria rather than cure it.

    She gave the advice when she visited the mother of triplets, Mrs. Segun Akinmosin, at the Epe General Hospital, on the occasion of the 2017 World Malaria Day, which had the theme, “A Push for Prevention”.

    According to her, this year’s theme was a clear demonstration that prevention was cheaper and far better than cure, just as she advocated the use of insecticide treated nets, which was most effective in preventing malaria, accounting for an estimated 69 percent of cases prevented through control tools.

    Mrs. Ambode noted that the administration in the state places the health needs of Lagosians on priority list, adding that maternal health would continue to be a priority, while also advising mothers and their children to sleep under treated nets.

    She disclosed that the inclusion of mosquito nets aside other baby items in the gifts packs for the new borns was a deliberate, life-saving malaria prevention technique.

    The representative of the Medical Director of Epe General Hospital, Dr. Jolaosho Adekunle and parents of the triplets, Mr. and Mrs. Segun Akinmosin, expressed appreciation to the wife of the Governor, stressing that her largesse couldn’t have come at a better time.

    Since 2000, malaria’s prevention has played an important role in reducing cases and deaths, primarily through the scale up of insecticide treated nets and indoor spraying with insecticides.

    World Malaria Day was established in May 2007 by the 60th Session of the World Health Assembly, a decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO). It is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment, to support countries in their efforts to control and eliminate malaria, as well as provide education and understanding on malaria.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) is shining a spotlight on prevention, a critical strategy for reducing the toll of a disease that continues to kill more people annually.

     

  • Community gets free treated mosquito nets

    Residents of Ilasamaja and its environs last weekend gathered at the palace of their Baale to get free insecticide-treated nets. Among them were women, expectant mothers, nursing mothers, children and men, who benefitted from the gesture meant to commemorate the 10th year coronation anniversary of the Baale of Ilasamaja. The donation was sponsored by a community leader of ward F2 in the community, Hon Adeolu Diyaolu.

    According to Diyaolu, the initiative was to reduce and prevent the rate at which residents were being exposed to malaria sickness. The programme tagged: “Roll back malaria” was also coming at the heel of Malaria World Day.

    “I initiated this programmed so that we can eradicate malaria in my community. This is because prevention is better than cure. We equally are attending to confirmed cases of malaria in our people,” said Hon Diyaolu.

    “This program is not being done in our local government alone, it is being done all over Lagos state and Nigeria as a whole and so far over five hundred people have benefited from this program.  We are also screening people for malaria symptoms to know who has malaria already so they can get anti-malaria drugs which will be given to them free of charge,” said Honorable Diyaolu

    The Baale of Ilasamaja, Abdul Fatai Alani Abereijo thanked the honorable for the programme. He described him as a man who has the love of his people at heart.

    “Hon. Diyaolu Olaolu is a man, who has the love of his people at heart and that prompted him to do this. We all know of the scourge we have in the country prompted by malaria. We are nearing the raining season, and malaria is the most prominent and the most common of all the sicknesses during this season.

    “From the health talks, we are reminded to clean our environment so no mosquito,  which is the carrier of malaria, will have a breeding place. Malaria is deadlier than HIV. So, for someone to come out with this kind of programme to eradicate or reduce the level of sickness among his people, I think we have to commend that kind of person. We need to encourage him more and we need to also support him in furtherance to what he is doing right now so that the whole thing can spread to other parts of the community,” said Baale Abereijo.

    “I thank him a lot and also on behalf of the people of Ilasamaja I also thank him for coming to our aid,” he said.

  • Corps members’ mosquito nets for host communities

    Corps members’ mosquito nets for host communities

    Residents of communities under Atiba Local Government Area of Oyo State could not hide their joy on Friday when Corps members in the council moved round to donate treated mosquito nets to them. The residents came out en mass to receive the materials.

    About 500 pieces of the nets were donated to pregnant women and nursing mothers in maternity centres in each community. Some of the places visited included Ago-are, Tede, Sabe, Ofiki, Irawo Owode, Irawo Ile, and Owotoro. The Corps members also sensitised the women on the cause, symptoms and prevention of malaria.

    The exercise, the Corps member said, was in line with the cardinal objective of the Community Development Service (CDS) of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which mandated members to contribute positively to the development of their host communities in the period of service.

    Hailing the exercise, the NYSC Local Government Inspector, Mr Muyiwa Akinbode, described the exercise as a good development, urging Corps members to keep up the work and continue to make positive impacts on their host communities.

  • Mosquito nets are not for fishing

    Mosquito nets are not for fishing

    Researchers now state that local efforts to eradicate malaria could be seriously compromised due to medication-resistant parasites. Prevention is the key but lack of funding, education and follow through is undermining even the simplest of interventions.

    Malaria is an infectious disease that is commonly transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito. When a mosquito bites an infected person, the mosquito becomes the carrier of microscopic malaria parasites. When the mosquito bites again, these parasites mix with the mosquito’s saliva and are injected into the new person.

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO), half of the population is at risk of being infected – especially pregnant women and young children.

    Unknown to most, malaria can also be transmitted during pregnancy before and/or during childbirth. Malaria contracted at this time is called congenital malaria and is a major cause of infant death.

    Malaria co-infection is another major concern and occurs when two or more diseases are present at the same time. Pregnant women who have co-infection of HIV and malaria often suffer from anaemia, pre-term birth and low-birth weight babies.

    Although less common, blood transfusions, contaminated needles and syringes can also serve as mechanisms of malaria parasite transmission.

    WHO’s most recent estimates, released in December 2013, states “there were about 207 million cases of malaria in 2012 and an estimated 627 000 deaths. Malaria mortality rates have fallen by 45 per cent globally since 2000 and by 49 per cent in the African region.”

    Malaria often causes flu-like symptoms and, in severe forms, death. Despite scientific proof, some people still do not believe malaria exists and attributes the symptoms to witchcraft.

    As a basic guideline for protection against malaria, United Against Malaria recommends the distribution of two long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) per person.

    This standard typically provides two to five years of protection for a family, depending upon the size of the family, the type of net, the number of washings and the degree of care given. The average purchase cost is USD 5 per net.

    However, simply having access to a net does not appear to have a major impact on their actual use. Surveys indicate that within households possessing at least one insecticide-treated net, only 55 per cent of children under the age of five were found to have slept under a net the previous night.

    This has been attributed to poverty and disregard in high-risk communities. Some people have openly admitted to selling their anti-malaria mosquito nets or converted them into fishing nets instead of using them.

    In combination with nets, indoor residual spraying (IRS) is another effective malaria prevention technique. IRS is safe for humans but lethal to mosquitoes that land on walls within a structure. It has shown to significantly decrease mosquito and larvae populations, especially in communities where stagnant water is present, such as those near mines, farms or brick-making operations.

    Currently, there is no antimalarial medication or vaccine that gives complete protection. The best line of defence is prevention and reducing the risk of mosquito bites.

    Take the following steps to reduce the risk of malaria:

     

    •           Avoid going out between dusk and dawn when mosquitos are most active;

    •           Wear long-sleeved clothing and long trousers;

    •           Use insecticide-treated nets in bedrooms at night;

    •           Apply insect repellent on any exposed skin and use indoor residual sprays in the home.

    Couillard is an international health columnist that works in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s goals of disease prevention and control. You can reach him via:

    Email: drcorycouillard@gmail.com

    Facebook: Dr Cory Couillard

    Twitter: DrCoryCouillard

     

  • Oyo distributes treated mosquito nets

    Oyo distributes treated mosquito nets

    The Oyo State government has commenced the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets to 1.3 million families in the state.

    The Commissioner for Health, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed this while addressing reporters in Ibadan, the state capital. Gbadegesin explained that a total of 893,000 nets were distributed during the first phase of the programme in Oke-Ogun area of the state. He added that a total of 1.3 million families translating to six million population are expected to benefit from the free nets across the 33 local governments of the state.

    According to him, the free nets were being provided in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO). He explained that the nets were being distributed under a partnership of the state and federal govenments tagged Malaria Action Programme for States (MAPS).

    Gbadegesin said that the 893,000 free nets were distributed in the 13 local govenment areas of Oke-Ogun in July and August, pointing out that the second phase would commence towards the end of the year.

    The commissioner further explained that MAPS staff and their counterparts from the state Ministry of Health as well as staff of the local governments conducted house-to-house mapping during which residents were identified, interviewed and issued cards with which to collect the nets before they were distributed. He pointed out that the mapping helped them to determine the number of people that make up each family thereby helping them to know how many nets to be earmarked for them.

    He said that each medium-sized nuclear family got two nets while more nets were given to polygamous families, depending on the number of people that make up the family. The nets were also torn open to prevent beneficiaries from selling them.

    Expressing satisfaction with the project, Gbadegesin said that malaria was the most prevalent disease in the state, in Nigeria and even in Africa. “It is the greatest killer disease. It is more so because children and pregnant women are most vulnerable,” the commissioner said.

    Gbadegesin further explained that the distribution of the free nets would complement the free malaria drugs that the state provides for children, pregnant women and the aged in all state and local government hospitals in the state.  ”But it is even better to prevent. Prevention is the reason for the nets. The weekly sanitation exercise is also helping because it is having a great positive impact on health in the state. It has helped reduce diseases and potential outbreak of lassa fever. We believe that the continuation of the sanitation and improvement in personal hygiene will reduce incidents of malaria and other diseases.

    “The two are the begining of good health,” Gbadegesin said.