Gombe Governor Flags Off Distribution Of Over 2 Million Treated Mosquito Nets

The Governor of Gombe State has flagged-off the distribution of over Two Million  Integrated Insecticide Treated Nets and Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention ( SMC) campaign in the state.

The distribution of the Insecticide Treated Nets is rolled out every four years by the State government in collaboration with federal government and relevant organizations.

During the flag-off ceremony, the State Governor, represented by his Deputy, Manassah Daniel Jatau, described malaria as a life threatening disease which needs all measures to be taken to address it’s devastating effect.

” Over the years, Malaria has been notorious with about half of the world’s population at risk of its transmission, the issue needs all measures that can be taken to address it. The 2023 World Malaria Report pinpoints that there are 85 countries in the world at this risk. Of course, Nigeria is one of them”.

“As one of the national strategies to reduce the burden of Malaria in the country and our dear state, the Government of Gombe State in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Malaria Elimination Programme (SMEP) with funding support from the Global Fund Malaria Grant, and other stakeholders have intensified efforts to increase access to use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs), which are durable and cost effective. The use of ITNs has also been proven to be one of the most effective malaria preventive interventions. In addition to the mass distribution of nets, the collaboration is also targeting children of 3-59 months with malaria prevention medicines in what we call Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign during the peak seasons of malaria”.

” Today, the Government of Gombe State with support from the Global Fund Malaria Grant will officially flag-off this campaign that will signal the commencement of distribution of over 2.1 million nets to the people of Gombe State across the 114 wards in the state. It is the cardinal objective of this administration to safeguard the lives and properties of every individual in the state. During this campaign, the state government has approved the use of 565 health facilities and deployed over 15,000 personnel for the successful implementation of the campaigns. Furthermore, the state government has fulfilled all its financial obligations to ensure smooth running of the exercise”.

In a remark, the state commissioner for health, Dr Habu Dahiru said the introduction of the use of INTs has contributed in the drastic reduction of malaria, Saying however that  more efforts need to be done to attain the target.

Also speaking, shortly after being decorated as the Gombe state malaria Ambassador, the wife of the state governor, Hajiya Asmau Inuwa Yahaya, identified  malaria as a common public health that requires collective efforts to eliminate it.She said as the malaria Ambassador for Gombe State, she will use  different channels and resources to disseminate messages on the use of Malaria Preventive medicines for children under three  to fifty nine months and the use of  insecticide treated nets to ensure that these children and families are protected.

In a presentation, the minister of health and social welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate represented by the Deputy Director and  head of branch integrated Vector Management (IVM) Mrs Mary Esema  and Hajiya Fatima Bukar who represented the National coordinator of malaria elimination Programme  congratulated Gombe state for being one of the states selected to benefit from the 2024 malaria intervention to deliver  two point one million nets to eleven  local governments of the state.