The Osun State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Isiaka Adekunle has urged media practitioners in the State to intensify efforts in sensitizing members of the public through rigorous campaign and creation of more awareness on the usage of free insecticide treated nets (ITN) to prevent malaria bites in Osun.
The Permanent Secretary stated this during the 2023 media orientation on insecticide treated net (lTN) campaign held on Wednesday at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Health, Osogbo.
The Career Head, who spoke through the State Manager for Malaria Elimination Program, Dr. Femi Oroge stated that the initiative’s aim and objective is to ensure that each family gets the treated nets in order to reduce the risk of contacting malaria.
Dr Oroge also stated that thirty percent (30%) of households in the community should systematically use the net to insulate themselves from insect bites, and most importantly malaria.
He then urged the media to sensitize the citizenry on the importance of the usage of the net, adding that sleeping inside treated nets protects one from mosquito, and by extension reduce the spread of malaria.
In his remarks, the National Coordinator, Malaria Elimination Program, Dr Richard Owege, who was represented by the National Malaria Elimination Program Officer, Mrs Chibutwu Margaret stated that the media has been of great help and indispensable stakeholders in malaria elimination programs in Nigeria.
She urged them to continue educating and informing people in every nook and cranny of Osun State to ensure that they receive and use the nets judiciously.
According to her, “Osun State has the lowest rate of net usage in the country during year 2020 program.”
Addressing Journalists at the event, the Media and Communication Specialist Advisor for Society for Family Health, Mr Gbue Denen Daniel stated that usage of the insecticide treated nets is safer and help prevents oneself adequately from malaria which, he noted, is cheaper than treating malaria after getting bitten by mosquito.
He hinted further that the distribution campaign which started on 11th of June 2023, has been engaging in series of documentation activities and training.
Mr Daniel frowned at some citizens who are of the habit of using the nets for farming and goal post for playing football or selling the nets. He then advised the media to spearhead campaign for proper usage of insecticide treated nets,adding that malaria issue needs proper attention.
“Malaria situation in Nigeria demands attention as it kills more than other types of sickness, over 31 million people are estimated to be affected annually in the country, 110 million cases per year out of which 30 percent are children and 11 percent are maternal deaths due to malaria.
“3.6million nets are to be distributed freely starting from July 6 to July 17, 2023, over 10, 000 personnels will be recruited to out the door to door distribution.
“The strategy is designed in such a way that every two persons in an household will get one net,” he concluded.
