The Government of Plateau State in partnership with the Governments of America and the United Kingdom are set to embark on mass distribution of 2,998,600 Insecticide -Treated Nets across communities in the seventeen local government areas of the State.
As part of efforts to ensure success of the exercise, the Plateau State Government with her partners have engaged journalists in a media parley held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, Plateau State Council Secretariat to help create awareness among the citizens on the distribution.
The weeklong exercise which is expected to commence from 13th to 19th April, 2024, has 1,080 distribution points across the state and will start with registration of households by household mobilizers wearing uniforms with malaria logo from 22nd to 28th March, 2024, to register and give an entitlement for free net e-token slips to each household.
Representative of each of the household would go to the distribution point written on their e-token slips to collect the free nets which will be spread out to air under shade for 24 hours before use.
Speaking on the objective of the media parley, Program Officer- Malaria of one of the partners, Breakthrough Action Nigeria, Linda Osage, noted that the event was to among other things provide opportunity for the journalists to gain insight into the Plateau State Insecticide Treated Nets Campaign and to motivate them to develop interest in reporting the campaign activities.
She said the media support in the campaign is crucial because the media offers great services and provide direct opportunity to save lives and help people to live better. According to her, the media can also develop human angle stories, dramas among others to reach beneficiaries with messages they can understand and appreciate.
According to the Plateau State Insecticide Treated Nets Mass Distribution Campaign Timeline, the process for the exercise had since started with the arrival of Campaign Technical Assistance Team to the state since on 25th February, 2024, with other activities that would last to 29th April, 2024.
Malaria which is caused by mosquitoes bite is a life-threatening disease and the prevalence in Plateau State is at 19%. According to report Nigeria accounts for over 66 million malaria cases annually and an estimated 30% of child and 11% of maternal deaths each year due to malaria.