Malaria Scourge: Bauchi to Distribute 4m Mosquito Nets

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The Bauchi State Agency for the Control of AIDS/HIV, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Leprosy (BACATMA) has stated that about four million mosquito treated nets are to be freely distributed to the people in the fight against malaria, especially among under-five children and pregnant women.

The Chairman of the agency, Dr. Sani Mohammed Dambam, who made the disclosure yesterday while marking this year’s World Malaria Day at Ningi Town Maternity PHC, noted with concern the prevalence of malaria among children and pregnant women, saying distribution of the mosquito nets would commence early next month as a preventive measure against the disease which is rampant during the rainy season.

The BACATMA chairman said the agency is carrying out a routine enlightenment campaign against the killer disease.

Dambam explained that the state healthcare delivery operatives choose Ningi for the commemoration of the day as part of the enlightenment drive across the state, stressing that the fora would also enable them put heads together to assess the achievements and challenges of the disease control programme.

Represented by the Director, Tuberculosis Control, Dr Yakubu Gida Abdullahi, the chairman noted that malaria is a great threat to the survival of under-five children and pregnant women, and called on stakeholders and the people to join hands together in eradicating the disease.

He called on pregnant women to ensure that they take every precaution in fighting malaria, saying they must take all the drugs given to them at the health facilities.

Also, the Integrated PHC Advisor of IHP, Bauchi State office, Dr. Darlington Okoye, who also spoke at the occasion, said Integrated Health Programme (USAID-IHP) has already trained over 30 laboratory scientists in the state aimed at ensuring quality diagnosis in respect to malaria disease.

He said they were poised to reduce malaria from its existing prevalence down to the barest minimum.

He explained that one of the IHP supports to Bauchi State is the management of severe malaria in primary healthcare facilities and the training of healthcare workers in 475 health facilities in the state.