Professor Vincent Umoh, the state’s commissioner for health, has voiced his shock at the widespread misuse of the insecticide-treated nets that were recently handed to state residents.
In an interview on World Malaria Day with the theme “to deliver zero malaria, invest, innovate, and implement,” the Commissioner urged those who participate in such behavior to stop right away.
The Commissioner stated that the state government would keep promoting the right use of mosquito nets to prevent malaria, highlighting the necessity of testing all malaria cases before treating them, even if he made clear that the tests are free.
Umoh, however, announced the reduction of malaria prevalence in the state from 23.3 percent to 22 percent, expressing hope of further reduction.
He called for collaboration with private sector operators as well as philanthropists in helping to procure free medication for the treatment of the disease while urging pregnant women to use Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine (SP) drugs for Intermittent Preventive Treatment of malaria during pregnancy and also adopt the various preventive measures which the state government has implemented including keeping the environment clean.
“Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease yet continues to have a devastating impact on the health and livelihood of people around the world.
“It is regrettable the way people abuse the Insecticide Treated Nets that were distributed to protect them against malaria. Let us help ourselves by making proper use of the nets that were distributed to us” He noted.
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