By Muhammad Auwal
The Kano State Government is to commence mass distribution of long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs)to households across the 44 local government areas of the state on October 5.
The permanent secretary, Ministry of Health, Alhaji Usman Bala-Mohammed disclosed this at a news conference on the preparations ahead of the LLINs mass replacement campaign in Kano on Monday.
He said the state government had concluded the necessary arrangements to flag off the 2019 distribution of the insecticidal nets on Saturday (October 5) in Bichi town.
Bala-Mohammed said the distribution of the net was part of effort to ensure the success of the campaign as well as to achieve the desired public cooperation and support.
He said the state government was collaborating with the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS).
Bala-Mohammed said this was through funding from Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) to distribute about 8.5 million LLINs to people in Kano state to achieve LLIN universal coverage.
“Preparations to distribute these nets have reached an advanced stage, with the completion of distribution of scanned net cards with which beneficiaries were expected to redeem their nets.
“The mass distribution of LLINs and their increasing availability in the health facilities (routine/continuous distribution) have made dramatic impact on the reduction of the number of malaria cases.
“However, hundreds of people are still contracting malaria, and many of these people are unable to access appropriate and timely treatment.
“The Kano state government with the support of its partners has distributed 4.5 million and 6.5 million LLINs in 2010 and 2015 respectively, all in an effort to improving the health status of the people of the state, “he said.
He called on traditional, religious leaders and other stakeholders who have critical roles to play in the campaign to mobilise their subjects and followers to ensure they redeem their nets at designated distribution points on the specified dates across the state.
He said the distribution exercise was expected to hold between October 5 and October 9.
