Kwara State’s fight against malaria has entered Day 3 as the distribution of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) and SPAQ (Drugs) to beneficiaries commenced in all the 193 wards across the sixteen local government areas.
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The programme was flagged off on Wednesday by the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the Government House, Ilorin and withnessed by Representives from the Federal Ministry of Health, The Global Fund, Society For Family Health (SFH), World Health Organization (WHO), and other international partners and collaborators.
The treated nets and SPAQ are being distributed free to various households to reduce malaria through prevention and treatment.
The treated nets according to the Society For Family Health, are much more effective than the untreated mosquito nets because they are produced with netting that contains World Health Organization recommended insecticide.
“2,283,800 SPAQ would be administered to eligible children up to aged three to fifty nine months as malaria preventive drugs.”
Speaking on the exercise, the State Commisssioner for Health, Dr. Amina El- Imam described the takeoff as so far successful, impressive and hitch free.
According to her, “The distribution of the nets and administering of the SPAQ are going on as scheduled in various households while the beneficiaries are eager to be captured.”
The Director, Technical and Programme, Society for Family Health, John Ocholi stressed the need for mobilisers and distributors to take stock and count the nets and SPAQ before use and warned against distributing to beneficiaries on the streets, shops, offices and schools.
Ocholi also urged distributors to contact the Central body if any team needs additional nets or SPAQ and stressed the need for all those involved in the programme to be security concious by taking the issues of security seriously.
Also speaking on the exercise, the Head, Media and Communication for Society for Family Health, Gbue Daniel expressed satisfaction with what it described as a smooth takeoff.
According to him, “With the monitoring activities, all the various committee members and the Community Mobilisers and Distributors (CMD’s) are working in accordance with their work plans.
“The committees have not faced any major challenge or technical problem in the discharge of their duties and assured that before the end of the seven days ultimatum set aside for the programme, all households across the sixteen local government areas in the state would be captured.”
He, however, appealed to all the beneficiaries to be patient as the CMD’s will get to their various households.
Two point two million (2.2m) Insecticide Treated Nets are expected to be distributed throughout the one hundred and ninety three wards across the state.
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