The Volta Regional Health Directorate has received a total number of 1,414,62 long lasting insecticide nets (LLINs) for distribution to 2,240,202 registered people in the 25 districts in the Volta region due this week.
The 7-day campaign which starts from 27-29 March and 3-6 April, 2018 unlike the earlier campaign that saw volunteers hanging the nets in rooms for beneficiaries, will have designated points where beneficiaries will converge for the nets, two persons per net.
The campaign to replace the old nets distributed in 2014 which have outgone their three-year efficacy period is being championed by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in partnership with USAID, PMI, Vector Words and GlobalFund to eradicate malaria in the country.
Dr. Yaw Ofori Yeboah, Deputy Volta Regional Director of Public Health of Ghana Health Service (GHS), making this known at 2018 LLIN Point Mass Distribution Stakeholders Meeting ahead of the National Campaign launch said, the distribution of the net is free and no one should pay for them.
According to him, security measures have been put in place including logo of GHS, bold inscription of “Not for Sale” and contact numbers to call for information to prevent people from taking advantage of the campaign.
Wrong Use of Mosquito Nets
He advised beneficiaries to sleep under the bed nets and not use them for other purposes such as food preservation, fishing, etc. He also called on the public to sparingly wash the nets in order to maintain their efficacy.
Togbe Kweku Ayim IV, Paramount Chief of Ziavi Traditional Area, addressing the participants suggested that much education on the use of the LLIN should be channeled through religious and traditional leaders in the various communities in order to achieve the aim of the campaign.
The workshop which came off at Hotel Stevens, Ho was attended by representatives of Red Cross, Department of Children and Women, NADMO, NCCE, Media, Religious and Traditional leaders.
By Albert Kuzor/VoltaOnlinegh