A few months ago, Katsina State Governor flagged off the the distribution of insecticide mosquito nets in Daura as part of the roll back malaria campaign. Speaking at the flagging in Daura, Governor Aminu Bello Masari tasked the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the treated nets. He described malaria as a deadly disease which constitutes a huge burden in Africa and continues to retard the economic development oldie region. 

 

Masari further stressed that the disease remain the leading cause of child and maternal mortality in the country, adding, "a total of 192.284 deaths were recorded in 2016 due to malaria? 

 

According to him. 60 per cent out-patients. 30 per cent child deaths and II per cent of maternal death were caused by malaria, adding that the treatment cost in Nigeria was estimated tnbeahaut 6:112 billion annually. 

 

He said his administration was providing malaria treatment free of charge across all the health facilities in the 34 local government meas. with focus mainly on prognant women and children under five years 

 

He said. "government also provides free treatment of pneumonia, diarrhea, vomiting, malnutrition and other child killer diseases". "We am also providing seasonal malaria chemo prevention SMC in Mash'. finial. Baure and Nlaiadua LGAs," "My administration has also procured free comntodities for antenatal care. intermittent preventive treatment. 1PT for malaria as well as provision of equipment required for safe delivery free of charge across all existing secondary health facilities in the state'. 

Also during her address at the occasion the Commissioner of health, Mariyatu Bala, said the nets would be distributed across 1.893 distribution points and that thousandsof adhoc staff had been engaged and trained for the week-long exercise. She further disclosed that the programme was sponsored by the Katsina State Government. World Health Organization. WH0, Society for Family Health and the Catholic Relief Service. CRS. 

 

The Katsina state government has further stepped up her avowed commitment maintain the menace by Malaria through the provision of adequate health care sere ices., fumigation of mosquitoes breeding sites and ensuring sustainable awareness campaign on the need Itr clean environment and drainages as well as using insecticide treated nets at the respective homes 

 

Dr Lawal Aliyu Rabeh, Director, Malaria and Sickle Cell Control. State Ministry of Health, told 'Du Nation in an exclusive interview in his °nice that Malaria as a public health disease, is managed by the slate government by preventing its osturrenee and spread as well as treating the victims of thc malaria attack. He maintained that the state government's commitment is to build a high treatment level on a victim within the blood system especially during high rain fall and the insistence on the campaign for the use of appropriate medication to address the menace in Katsina 

 

He further disclosed that there are several cases of routine distribution of antinatal Care. ANC. products for pregnant women and children under 3 years. who are usually the most vulnerable tomosquito attacks 

 

The Pregnant women were also given introrninent preventive treatment on pregnant women. IPTP. as a way of reducing the impact On the preventive measures undertaken by the government he maintained that a coalition of activities involving the slate Environmental Protection Agency, SEPA, Society for family Health. SF11. and allied partners like WHO. CRS and so on, to tackle environmental challenges and maintenance through clean ups of the drainages and the households and the use of treated nets as pan of vector control activities in the urban area 

 

He said, "we usually embark tin roll back malaria campaigns every 4 years in the state. faaturing the distribution of insecticide treated nets, with high efficacy to checkmate the malaria scourge" "Special attention is paid to the months August. September. which is the peak of the raining period with high breeding mosquitosites. "The concern within this period is to cover as much as possible quite a number of the children. by attacking the malaria Parasites' "4 local governments including Marsha, Mai-Adua, Dutsi and Barre were gradually covered, while the rest will be reached later" 

 

He added that under the state government's policy on Malaria, the treatment of Malaria is free, including is of insecticide net' and drugs. lie advised the people to develop the culture of sleep under Insecticide net and stop selling them In the opinion of Dr lawal. checkmating the spread and the health damages caused by Malaria is best achieved with the introduction of vaccines which destroys the plasmodium parasites that causes the diseases, especially with the plan by WHO to introduce the use of a paint technology that contains Mosquitoes repcIlants. that the habitats the presence of Mosquitoes in the living rooms Again attacking the breeding sites such as drainages. and the environments through spraying and the use of herbicides, which the Ministry is presently conducting in collaboration with KASEPA has gone a long way in [educing the potency of the Malaria carrier He alluded to the suggestion that the household and other stakeholders in the state have roles to play in combating Malaria in the state 

 

He said. "the households can contribute by ensuring that their environment is clean especially the sorroundings. Its a collective approach requiring public enlightenments and house to house mobilization. Creating awareness on malaria in the households will help ensure the success of the Malaria campaigns' 

 

Elizabeth Oladoyin T.S Uzom, Assistant Manager in charge of Social and Behavioral Change Communication. Katsina state branch of Society for Family Health. SFH. counsels the common iticis to rather put to good use. the insecticide treated nets they were given rather than misusing them as sponge. as a farming tool prattling them foreconomk gains Her agency: theSociety For family health. SFH. provided an invaluable link with the grassroots on how to promote clean and healthy environments that discourages breeding of mosquitoes in theirneighborhood 

 

She said her agency been able to mobilize successfully the entire 34 LGA in the state containing 10 t012 wands in each local government , have them sensitised through the deployments of Civil society Organizations, CSOs who moved round from dour to door up to the wards and local government levels for 63 days taking turns to create both awareness on the availability of the nets as provided by Government. their application and usage as well develop in them. the culture of depending on the companionship created by the Mosquito insecticide nested nets. and conducting a post cheek on the beneficiaries 

 

She said "there is high acceptance of the campaign as well as cooperation from the communities visited. The Deputy Governor who acted as our NET AnilxisNatlor was the Chief motivator as the people listened to him and cooperated" When the Nation spoke to some citizens of kabalu they hailed the government's health policies especially the effort tosquare up against the malaria scourge. they however wanted KASEPA to step up Its activities especially in destroying mosquito breeding sites and open spraying off drainages and suspected environmental throats Muktar, Abubakar. a trader at Kolar Kaura round about, said the activities of SEPA especially regarding spraying of mosquito breeding site is not visible lie said. "we want them to be active in that area. when we see them doing that it will encourage us to participate.

Augustine Okezie|The Nation