Henceforth, anyone found using the insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) being distributed free across the state inappropriately will be sanctioned.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Wole Olugboji, gave the warning in his address at the 2011 World Malaria Day, in Ado-Ekiti.
He said the warning became necessary following the abuse of the nets, which he said was being used to cover goalposts. The commissioner said it had also been discovered that some residents were using the net to cover smoked fish and meat being displayed for sale, while others cut them to sizes for sponge, among other forms of abuse.
The commissioner discloses that malaria was a major killer disease, which constituted a significance public health problem.
He noted that the disease was responsible for about 60 per cent of the total outpatients in hospitals, 30 per cent of child mortality and 11 per cent of maternal mortality in the country. Olugboji reiterated the commitment of the state government to the continued funding of malaria control programmes in the area of advocacy, training, monitoring and evaluation aimed at reducing the scourge.
The occasion witnessed free malaria test and distribution of bed nets to the participants.
Wife of the state Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, who delivered a keynote address at the celebration, was among dignitaries that were tested for malaria parasite.
She promised that government would continue to play its own part of ensuring a malaria-free society through the provision of necessary resources and logistics.
Erelu Fayemi charged members of the public to judiciously use the mosquito nets given to them free and to stop converting them to other uses.
The First Lady added that government would soon enact legislation against the improper use of the ITNs.
She said government was waging total war against malaria in the various communities of the state, adding that the effort would enhance the health status of the people and by extension promote the quality of its human resources.
Erelu Fayemi stressed the importance of prevention and early treatment of malaria, especially in children and pregnant women to reduce malaria-induced mortality rate in the state. She said government would not relent in its efforts towards continued sensitization and awareness campaign against malaria, especially at the grassroots.
She commended the efforts of the development partners like UNICEF, Federal Government, Global Fund Malaria Task Force, World Health Organization and others for their financial and logistics support for the success of the programme in the State.
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Last modified: April 25, 2011