Pupils in 9 regions to receive insecticide treated nets

Twenty-three thousand public and private schools in nine regions in the country are to benefit from this year’s national primary schools insecticide treated nets distribution campaign as part of the government’s strategy to fight malaria.

The campaign, which is aimed at preventing, treating and stamping out malaria, will distribute 1.3 million insecticide–treated mosquito nets to primary two and six pupils across the country.

The programme is supported by the United States (US) government through its President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and supported by the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) of the Ghana Health Service, the Schools Health Programme of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and USAID/PMI Vector Works Project.

Shared responsibility

Launching the campaign in Accra, the Deputy Minister of Health, Ms Tina Mensah, said children’s health should be the concern of every responsible family, community and government, to ensure that no child is attacked by any illness, particularly malaria.

“We are fully aware that when children remain free of malaria, their school attendance will improve, learning capabilities will be sustained and the state will be richer by having a generation of healthy children,” she said.

Ms Mensah advised stakeholders in the fight against malaria, including parents and teachers, to play their parts efficiently by ensuring that treated mosquito net stocks were protected, cautioning, “It is not for sale.”

Concerns

The minister expressed concern over the practice by some beneficiaries to use the nets for fishing, fencing of gardens and drying of fish, among others.

She, therefore, called on metropolitan, municipal and district assembles to educate the people against such practices and also enact bye-laws to deal with those involved in the acts.

She commended the efforts of all partners in the campaign and further advised parents and guardians to ensure that their wards slept in treated mosquito nets to prevent them from getting malaria.

Defeating malaria

For his part, the US Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Robert P. Jackson, said defeating malaria would save lives and stimulate global economic growth.

He, therefore, urged people living in malaria-prone communities to use the nets and also take measures that would protect them against malaria.

“I believe if we all work together, we can do the same in every corner of the world. We can stamp out malaria for good,” he said.

According to the ambassador, the programme had seen improvement over the years.

The Manager of the NMCP, Dr Constance Bart-Plange, said: “Malaria can affect your brain if you are not fortunate to recover fully; it can lead to epilepsy,” she added.