Nine districts in Central Region benefit from 1,000,133 treated bed nets.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) last December embarked on a “Long lasting insecticide treated nets hang up” campaign in the Central Region where a total of 1,000,133 nets were distributed.
The exercise, which began from November 28 to December 9, 2011, was carried out in nine districts in the Region with eight more to cover.
Briefing the Press in Cape Coast on the exercise on Tuesday, the Regional Biologist and Malaria Coordinator, Mr. Moses Asante, said the goal of the exercise was to reduce malaria morbidity and mortality rate by 75% by 2015.
He noted that the GHS took delivery of the nets, which had been well treated to last over three years from the Department for International Development (DFID) through the UNICEF.
He said though the main focus was on pregnant women and children under five years, every household as well as individuals in the Region were considered during the exercise and that the net as well as its hanging were free of charge.
Mr. Asante said his outfit was expecting an extra 46,000 treated bed nets which would be soon distributed and hanged in the districts which did not get their allocation.
According to him, a total of 133 health staff, 482 sub-district supervisors as well as 10,800 volunteers were trained on the “hang-up” activities.
He said the exercise faced some challenges such as shortage of nets, some volunteers giving out the nets instead of hanging them, illegitimate collection of money by some volunteers.
Mr. Mensah said these problems were tackled and therefore the exercise went on smoothly.
He said the nets could be washed for up to twenty times with mild soap and should not be dried in the sun but should rather be hung under a shade advising that they should be used always to avoid malaria.
He cautioned the public not to pay any monies to the volunteers who hang up the nets and that those who demand money should be reported, stressing that the nets were not to be handed over to individuals but rather be hanged in houses.
He pleaded with the Media to continue with the public education on the proper use of the nets as well as the practice of good sanitation to avoid malaria.
Source: GNA