Professor Isaac Adewole, Nigeria’s Health minister

Over three million Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets, worth 3 billion Naira, will be distributed to residents of Ogun State, between March and May this year.

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, disclosed this, when a team of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) paid an advocacy visit to the Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun in his office yesterday.

Represented by the Director of Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Evelyn Ngige, the minister said the programme will be carried out by the Global Health Fund for Malaria and Tuberculosis (GHFMT) in conjunction with the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the NMEP.

The minister urged the Ogun state government to support the project, through the training of personnel, provision of storage facilities in all Local Governments Areas in the state and security for the operatives.

Revealing that the programme will be flagged off by the end of March, Adewole also called for the assistance of the government, with increased budgetary allocations to malaria control, support funds for the distribution of malaria medicine and the purchase of malaria drugs.

In his response, the governor said the state will ensure necessary mobilisation and campaign towards the success of the programme.

According to him, it is in the interest of the state government to support the initiative for adequate distribution, adding that traditional and community leaders as well as relevant agencies will be involved.