Yobe State Governor Hon. Mai Mala Buni has flagged-off the distribution of over two million insecticide treated mosquito nets to households in the 17 local government areas of the state to fight malaria.
The flag-off ceremony took place at the palace of the Emir of Damaturu, Alhaji Shehu Hashimi II Ibn Umar el-Amin El-Kenemi with the support of malaria partners.
The governor was represented by his deputy, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana, who was decorated at the event as the Net Ambassador of the state by the National Malaria Elimination Programme ( NMEP), Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Malaria Consortium (MC).
According to him, the government has approved the upgrade of the primary healthcare centers in Machina, Nguru, Jaji Maji, Yunusari, Yusufari, Babban-Gida and Bara to general hospitals in fulfillment of its promise to establish one general hospital in each local government headquarters.
Buni also urged traditional rulers, community and religious leaders to cooperate with officials of state’s health institutions and support the initiative of spreading the free treated nets.
The representative of the minister of health, Dr Adamu Abdullahi, the acting managing director of Federal Medical Center Nguru, disclosed that the use of insecticide treated nets had been one of the key strategies adopted for the prevention and elimination of malaria in the country by the federal government and Yobe State is one of the seven states to benefit from the intervention in 2022.
Also speaking, the chief host and commissioner for health and human services, Dr Mohammad Lawan, noted that the present administration was highly committed to ensure quality and effective delivery of health services to the people, hence health is given top priority.
In his opening remarks, the executive secretary, State Primary Healthcare Management Board, Dr. Babagana Kundi Machina, said the use of insecticide treated nets was the best protection from mosquito bites.
According to him, the availability of the 2.2million mosquito nets will eradicate and reduce cases of malaria and save lives.
The representatives of National Malaria Elimination Program, Dr. Kolawale Maxwell and Catholic Relief Services ( CRS) Haruna Sani, said their organisations were working with the state ministry of health, with funding from the global fund to distribute over 2.2 million insecticide treated nets using the cash and assets transfer strategy supported by mobile devices in Yobe State.
