By Ibrahim Sorie Koroma, Snr. Health Education Officer –MoH
The Ministry of Health in collaboration with its partners will embark on a nationwide distribution campaign of 5,345,236 FREE Treated Mosquito Nets later this year. This is according to Dr. Abdul Mac Falama, the Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme in the Ministry of Health.
Dr. Mac Falama continued that the goal of the distribution campaign is to achieve 80% population access to effective mosquito nets (ITNs), sustain correct and consistent use, including care and repair of ITNs by 2023, adding that the objectives is to register at least 95% of households in the country (at least 80% in Western Area Urban) and distribute vouchers to exchange for ITNs, at least 95% of the registered households redeem vouchers for ITNs, ensure that at least 80% of the households that receive ITNs are hanging and using them and ensure that at least 95% of households are reached with social and behaviour change communication messages for improved health and health-seeking behavior.
He further said that the strategy of the campaign is a household based distribution in which Households will be registered and issued voucher(s) which will be used to claim the treated mosquito nets at the distribution sites. Distribution of the nets will be done at specific distribution sites (static, outreach and mobile) and key messages on malaria, proper net use, care, repair and repurposing will be delivered at each distribution point with a maximum of three treated mosquito nets to a household. He further pointed out the following eligibility criteria: (1 – 2 persons in a household eligible to 1 mosquito net, 3 – 4 persons in a household eligible to 2 mosquito nets and 5 or more persons eligible to 3 mosquito nets.
When talking on what is new in the upcoming mosquito net campaign, Dr. Mac Falama said that the different campaign activities or components will be , including household registration, distribution of ITNs, logistics and ITN tracking, independent monitoring and supervision .
Dr. Mac Falama concluded that the campaign will be piloted in Bo district and lessons learnt will be used to roll out to the remaining 15 districts later in the year.
