By Faridat Salifu
The Kaduna State Government is to distribute 4.5 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets to 1.8 million households across the state from June 30 to July 3 as part of a renewed campaign to reduce malaria prevalence.
The Permanent Secretary of the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, Dr. Aishatu Abubakar-Sadiq, announced the plan during a news conference on Wednesday in Kaduna.
She said the intervention is being carried out in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Society for Family Health, and Malaria Consortium.
Residents were urged to redeem their e-tokens for new nets at designated distribution points, while old mosquito nets will be retrieved under the “End of Life of Nets” programme to support environmental protection.
“In line with the targeted distribution strategy of the National Programme to preserve our environment, we will be retrieving old nets through the End of Life of Nets programme,” Abubakar-Sadiq said.
The campaign will also involve the administration of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SPAQ) to around two million children under five between June and September.
Abubakar-Sadiq emphasized that the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s national malaria strategy, which aims to achieve at least 80 percent coverage of vector control interventions among target populations by 2025.
She urged residents to ensure household members are present during the campaign to receive both the nets and preventive drugs.
According to the World Malaria Report, Nigeria accounts for about 27 percent of global malaria cases and 32 percent of malaria-related deaths, with children under five and pregnant women being the most vulnerable.
Insecticide-treated nets are a key tool in the country’s malaria prevention strategy, with evidence showing they can reduce malaria incidence by up to 50 percent and child mortality by 20 percent in high-transmission areas.
Similar mass distribution campaigns have been launched this year in states like Kano and Bauchi, targeting over 30 million mosquito nets nationwide with support from the Global Fund and development partners.
