The World Health Organization (WHO) is to distribute about 4.5 million insecticide treated mosquito nets to the people in both Oyo and Akwa-Ibom states.
The move is part of efforts at halting the prevalent cases of malaria scourge and promote sound health in the country.
Leading a team of health experts, Oluwakemi Olawoyin, the Oyo State Health Educator at a press briefing at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council press centre, added that prevention of measles and malaria was a burden not to be neglected.
She appealed to media organizations to join them in educating members of the public on various health initiatives saying that the media was an integral part of every campaign due to the great and significant role it played in the dissemination of information to a mass audience.
“We are seeking your collaboration on our upcoming vaccination programme, which is aimed at a 95 percent reduction of measles and malaria burden if not totally eradicated.
“The defects suffered by children affected by measles and that suffered by individuals from malaria has become a concern of government and various international health organisations.
“This led to the intervention of all concerned. We are seeking the collaboration of the media as an educative and informative platform relied upon by the public to help educate them on the importance of these initiatives,” she said.
Olawoyin disclosed that vaccination would be administered on children from zero to five years, adding that prevention of measles and malaria was a burden not to be neglected.
Also speaking, a Consultant with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Oyo State Measles Campaign, Toyin Afaching said that immunisation was good for the children’s health.
Afaching said that government was trying to ensure that the children were adequately taken care of, calling on the media to also give necessary support through adequate education of the people.
In the same vein, Usman Usman, Behaviour Change Advisor informed journalists that malaria was a disease that could be treated and prevented, urging the people to support every initiatives aimed at preventing its occurrence.
“The net prevents malaria in three different ways. It is a barrier between the human body and mosquitoes, it serves as repellent and kills mosquitoes as a result of the chemicals on it.
“The nets which lasts for three years could be washed with bathing soaps and must be dried under shade for 24 hours before usage because of the chemicals on it.
Usman, who said that the nets would be from January 28 to February 1, said that they would ensure that families in the selected states benefit from the distribution.
He said that the mobilisers would visit every household to give out net cards, which would be used in obtaining the net at specified distribution points.
“We will ensure proper monitoring of the distribution and make sure at least a family gets four of the nets,’’ he said.
They allayed the fears that the nets could have negative effects on the users due to the chemicals on it, likewise the perception against immunisation of the children.
They also called on the people to always make good use of such items when obtained to get the best results it was aimed at.
Follow Us
