The Kaduna government says it will distribute 4.5 million insecticide-treated nets to 1.8 million households.

Aishatu Abubakar-Sadiq, the permanent secretary of the health ministry, stated this at a news conference on Wednesday in Kaduna.

She said the exercise billed to be held from June 30 to July 3 is being implemented in collaboration between the state government, the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Catholic Relief Services, the Society for Family Health, and the Malaria Consortium.

“The distribution campaign is one of the major strategies to deliver nets to the general populace and Deasonal Malaria Chemoprevention.

“Nigeria’s key strategy plan for vector control is to improve access and utilisation of vector control interventions to at least 80 per cent of the targeted population by 2025,” she said.

Ms Abubakar-Sadiq said the nets’ distribution campaign would be integrated with the SMC, adding that “SMC is a lifesaving intervention where SPAQ, a malaria prevention drug, will be given to children aged 3-59 months.”

She appealed to the residents in the state to support the intervention by making their children available for the administration of SPAQ.

According to Ms Abubakar-Sadiq, approximately two million children under five will be reached with the malaria drug between June and September, in line with the national programme’s strategy.

This, she said, also aimed at preserving the environment by retrieving old mosquito nets through the “End of Life of Nets” programme.

“This year’s campaign will witness a slight modification.

“In line with the targeted distribution strategy of the national programme to preserve our environment, we will be retrieving old nets through the End of Life of Nets programme,” she said.

She further urged residents to redeem new nets with their e-tokens at designated distribution points across Kaduna. 

(NAN)