About 1.4 million households in the Volta Region, particularly those in rural areas, will receive Insecticide-Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNs) free of charge to fight malaria.
The Regional Deputy Director of the Ghana Health Service in-charge of Public Health, Dr Yaw Ofori Yeboah, who made the announcement, confirmed that so far a total of 1,414,062 bed nets had been distributed in the exercise, which is slated from 27 March to 6 April, 2018.
He noted that the new bed nets are to replace the ones given to beneficiaries in 2014, which have passed three-year efficacy cycle.
Dr Yeboah disclosed this in Ho, the regional capital, at a regional stakeholders’ meeting on the upcoming exercise dubbed, Long Lasting Insecticide Net (LLIN) Point Mass Distribution Campaign.
He explained that the meeting would be used to update stakeholders on the approach to be used in the campaign, saying unlike the earlier exercise that had the volunteers hanging the nets in rooms of beneficiaries, the nets will be distributed from centres in the current campaign.
He bemoaned the use of nets to cover fruits, fish and squeeze corn dough, among others, instead of sleeping under them to prevent malaria.
He, therefore, tasked the media to intensify education for people to sleep under treated mosquito nets, which is the most cost-effective way of eradicating malaria.”
He revealed that some security measures had been put in place to forestall the sale of Mosquito nets.
He added that the logo of GHS with the bold inscription, ‘Not for Sale’ would embossed on the nets, as well as contact numbers in a bid to support the campaign.
Regional Health Promotion Officer, Roland Glover, called on the chiefs and other stakeholders to tackle the misuse of nets.
Traditional leaders
Meanwhile, Torgbe Kwaku Ayim, Paramount Chief of Ziavi Traditional Area, who represented the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, has appealed to GHS to solicit the support of chiefs during important campaigns to ensure the success of the campaigns.
“The traditional leaders are with the people and so they play key roles in the campaigns even after they are done to encourage the needed behavioral and social change,” he added.
From Fred Duodu, Ho