Umar Abdulai
Minna
District Head of Maikunkele, Bosso Local Government Area, Niger State, Alhaji Suleiman Adala, has made a case for mass production and modernization of mosquito nets to make it available and attractive in the renewed fight against malaria.
He said that it was regrettable that the mosquito nets in circulation had outlived their usefulness because many people find it difficult to use them.
He however advocated for the production of varieties in colours, sizes and shapes so that people make choices on the type that is suitable for their homes.
Adala said, “Many people complain that the mosquito net is obstructing ceiling fan when they want to sleep because of heat while others simply use it as curtain on their doors because they don’t have extra nails on the walls to hang it. Is there no way it can be modernized?”
The community leader spoke at the one-day Global Fund Malaria Accountability and Advocacy Project meeting organized by the Civil Society for Malaria Control, Immunization and Nutrition (ACOMIN) which took place at Gidan Matasa, Minna, Niger State on Wednesday.
Adala also commended Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and donor agencies for championing the cause of ensuring that malaria and the vector mosquitoes are stamped out in the society, adding however that the challenges before getting the nets are enormous and therefore wants the relevant agencies to make them readily available for all.
The Chairman, ACOMIN, Kalejaiye Olasunkanmi, had explained that the group was a National Network of Civil Society Organisations working on the prevention, treatment and mitigation of the impact of malaria, promoting immunization and better nutrition in Nigeria.
ACOMIN has been engaged by Catholic Relief Services under the ongoing Global Fund Grant to ensure that Civil Society and Community components are focused on Accountability and Advocacy in thirteen states, including Niger.
Malaria, he said, is a major health problem in Nigeria and has the highest out of 15 countries who accounted for 80% of global malaria deaths in 2016 and the disease is a risk for 97% of Nigeria’s population, of which under-5 children and pregnant women are the most vulnerable.
