Upper East communities to get 598,316 insecticide bed nets
The Upper East Regional Health Directorate, on Friday launched the Universal Insecticide Treated Bed nets Distribution and Hang Up Campaign, in Bolgatanga, to distribute 598,316 bed nets to 911 communities in the area.
The campaign that was on on theme: “Malaria Kills, Prevent Malaria by Sleeping under Long Lasting Insecticide Bed nets,”was attended by traditional rulers, religious leaders, development partners, Directors of Ghana Health Services, the media, District Chief Executives, nurses and health workers.
The region is the seventh in the country to carry out the campaign and it is to precede the commencement of the house to house distribution and hang up exercise and to drum home the bed nets usage.
Dr Koku Awoonor Williams, Director of Upper East Regional Health Services, said the hang up exercise would cover 1,870 million people registered in the region.
He said the data generated in the region indicated that 260,000 households and 67,450 people sleep without bed nets.
Dr Awoonor Williams said that 17,236 pregnant women, and 137,584 children under age five registered.
He said the Directorate had put in place interventions to reduce malaria cases in pregnant women and children.
Dr Awoonor mentioned the promotion of the use of insecticide treated bed nets for children under five and pregnant women.
He complained of insufficient bed nets for the targeted population, inadequate support for malaria rapid diagnostic test kits for malaria for staff and those working in the peripheral.
Others were the over diagnosing of Malaria cases, refusal of people to sleep under bed nets, pregnant women refusing to attend antennal clinics and poor environmental practices.
Mr Samuel Oppong National Malarial Control Officer, said the concept of the hang up exercise was realized in 2009 as a way to accelerate Malaria control in the country, and to achieve the reduction rate by 75per cent by 2015.
He said the exercise carried out in other areas whipped up coverage, effective usage and encouraged ownership of the bed nets since the nets were directly hanged for the user.
Ms Clara Dubie, Chief Field Officer, UNICEF, appreciated the challenges and wished the Regional Health Directorate success in the exercise.
Mr Edward Ayagle, Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive, commended members of the steering committee of the campaign for their dedication to duty.
Source: GNA