National Malaria Control Programme to distribute Treated nets

Koforidua, Oct 20, GNA - The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) is to embark on a nationwide distribution of Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets to ensure that every person from the age zero slept under treated nets to prevent mosquito bites that cause malaria. Currently, emphasis is placed on free distribution of the nets to pregnant women and children under five who are considered to be more vulnerable to malaria.

However, it has now been decided to widen the distribution as a holistic control measure.

Mr Kwame Gakpey, an official of the NMCP programme who said this at a training workshop for journalists in Koforidua on Wednesday, said the programme would start in the Eastern Region beginning from some deprived districts and then replicated in all other districts throughout the nation.

Those districts include Kwahu West and East, Birim North and South, Akyemmansa, West Akyem, Kwaebibirem, Atiwa, Manya Krobo and Upper Manya districts.

He explained that the exercise had been planned in such a way that every two persons would be given one treated net to be used because studies had shown that the net was able to accommodate two persons on a bed or a mat.

Studies have also shown that people collect the nets but fail to hang them due to the cumbersome nature of doing it and so the NMCP would engage the services of experts to hang the nets at no cost to beneficiaries. Mr Gakpey appealed to the public to embrace the use of the treated nets.