The Ogun State Government, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and Society for Family Health (SFH), has commenced the distribution of 3.7million Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) across the State.
Speaking during the official flag-off ceremony in Abeokuta, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, the State had been selected by its partners as one of the four States in Nigeria to receive and distribute the ITNs to residents, saying the efficiency of the nets in malaria prevention is empirically proven.
She disclosed that the approach for the distribution is based on the population of the State, as the State targets at at least one net for every two citizens in the State, assuring that the Campaign would cover all the 236 wards across the 20 LGAs of the Atate.
Coker said health is a key part of the Second Pillar of the Prince Dapo Abiodun administration's ISEYA Agenda, which is to address the social welfare and wellbeing of Ogun Residents, saying the nets will help to reduce the burden of malaria on the health sector in the State.
"Just to briefly put into context the importance of our gathering today to flagoff ITN is the fact that malaria is a disease of major importance because it affects about 98% of the total population with 9-10 Nigerians dying dying every hour. Malaria being endemic in our environment, we must apply interventions that will cover the populace and protect everyone from having malaria", she said.
The Commissioner assured that her Ministry would work closely with its partners to provide the appropriate level of oversight for the Campaign, calling on relevant stakeholders to play their part towards a successful exercise.
In his remarks, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osage Ehanire, disclosed that the federal government had adopted ITN replacement as one of its key strategies for the elimination of malaria, saying 15million nets would be distributed across the country.
The Minister, who was represented by the Coordinator, National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Dr. Perpetual Uhomoibi, appreciated the State Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako Oyedele for accepting the responsibility as net ambassador, expressing his optimism of a success exercise in the State as well as the entire country.
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