Nursing mothers warn against selling mosquito nets

Agona Swedru, Nov 4, GNA- Mr. Ben Mensah, District Chief Executive for Agona has warned nursing mothers to desist from selling the free-insecticide treated bed nets (ITN) offered them by the health authorities undertaking the immunizing exercise.

He said a reliable information reaching his office indicated that some nursing mothers are selling their nets to some chemical sellers at Agona Swedru and other towns in the district.

Mr. Mensah gave the warning when he visited some immunization centres at Agona Swedru to ascertain progress on exercise.

He urged the health officials in the district to adopt effective strategies to clamp down on mothers who would sell their nets instead of using to protect the children against malaria.

The DCE said the polio/measles campaign was one of the strategic interventions by the health sector to address disease of public health, adding that it was aimed at reducing the 1990 under five year mortality rate of 132 per 1000 live birth nation wide.

He asked the health officials to establish effective surveillance for measles and polio and monitoring of vaccination coverage.

Mr Mensah stated that the World Health Organisation (WHO) report released in August, 2006 indicated that malaria kills one million people each year mainly children under five years, 3000 per day and ten new cases every second.

According to the DCE with the exception of 2003 when Ghana suffered a major set back when some cases of polio were reported, due to importation of wild polio virus, there has been zero case of polio in 2001, 2002 2004 and 2005.

He appealed to the community leaders, and Assembly members to educate their people, especially nursing mothers to send their children to be immunized, adding that children who were not covered pose threat to other children in the same community.

Dr. Sekyi Appiah, Agona District Director of health Services said measles cause blindness, dumbness and children and let them suffer brain infection.

He stated that a total of 51,024 children in the district under O-59 months would be covered in the five- day polio immunization exercise.

Dr Sekyi- Appiah stated that 43,370 children under 9-59 months would be immunized against measles, while a total of 14,405 insecticide treated bed nets would be given to children under two years. The District Director of Health Services pointed out that in addition to the measles vaccinations, children under 6-59 months totalling 41,053 would be given vitamin "A" capsules. 04 Nov. 04