Mushindano gets 6,000 mosquito nets

JACKSON MAPAPAYI writes@sunzambianAUTHORITIES in Mushindamo district have advised residents to put to good and appropriate use the yet to be distributed long lasting treated insecticide mosquito nets.Meanwhile, about 7454 households are earmarked for the Indoor Residue Spray (IRS) while over 6,000 long lasting treated mosquito nets would be distributed in Mushindamo district.Mushindamo District Administrative officer, Oscar Mugala, said Government was spending huge sums of money to ensure that people were provided with mosquito nets to help in the reduction of malaria.He however wondered why the residents were not using mosquito nets for intended purposes.The District Administrative Officer was speaking during the launch of the IRS exercise at Kamisenga clinic yesterday.“It is my appeal to members of the public to ensure that they start using the nets for their intended purposes,” he said.Mr Mugala stated that it was saddening that malaria cases in the district had remained unacceptably high despite the various interventions currently being implemented by the government and the various stakeholders.He said this was posing a danger to people’s health as malaria had continued to be a killer disease, claiming thousands of lives every year especially pregnant women and children.Mr Mugala however reaffirmed Government’s commitment to ensuring that malaria was eliminated by next year.Earlier, District Medical Director, Edgar Mtimushi, said Government intended to implement various interventions with other partners to fight malaria in Mushindamo district.Dr Mtimushi stated that among the activities would be IRS, mass drug administration, distribution of long lasting treated mosquito nets among others.He encouraged the church, traditional leaders, the media, the business community to join the fight against the elimination of malaria in the district. The Sun