Make treated nets part of dowries - Health Expert

Dr Yaw Ofori Yeboah, Deputy Director, Public Health of Ghana Health Services, Volta Region has called on traditional authorities and family heads to make treated bed nets part of items required for marriage rites.

He said making bed nets mandatory in dowries would make the nets available in every home and ‘drive home’ the importance of sleeping under treated nets.

Dr. Yeboah was addressing this year’s regional stakeholders meeting on the Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) Point Mass Distribution campaign launch for 2018 in Ho.

He said when people were made to pay for bed nets as part of dowries, they would appreciate its importance and not abandon the nets in their rooms.

Dr Yeboah also called for measures to be put in place to punish people who use treated nets for fishing and fencing backyard gardens.

He said the GHS would this year distribute over two million treated bed nets in 23 districts in the Volta Region, having done same at Akatsi North and South Tongu districts as part of its campaign to make the Volta Region malaria free, ahead of the rainy season.

The distribution is scheduled for March 27 to 29 and from April 3 to 6.