The U.S. Government said on Friday that it had donated 2.9 million insecticide-treated bed nets worth 8.1 million Dollars for distribution in Sokoto State.
The U.S. Embassy in Abuja said in a statement that the nets, donated through President Muhammadu Buhari Malaria Initiative, would be distributed in the 23 local government areas of the state.
The Embassy said the U.S. government had also provided additional 1.5 million Ddollars for logistics, including transportation of the nets, community mobilisation and training of health workers.
It said said the nets and support for the distribution were gift from the American People to the People of Sokoto State.
“Increasing access to health services, especially for the poor, is a sound and sustainable investment that can command great economic returns.
“This bed net distribution is significant in order to scale up access to malaria prevention within every household in Sokoto State.
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“Malaria is one of the leading killers of children and a leading cause of illness in Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season when mosquito population increases,” the embassy said.
According to the embassy, sleeping under an insecticide-treated net every night is the best way to prevent malaria.
It also said that bed nets put a vital barrier between people and the mosquitoes that carry malaria, particularly from dusk to dawn.
The embassy said that nightly use of insecticide-treated bed nets prevents infections, which in turn prevents the spread of malaria.
It said the U.S. government had spent more than 420 million Dollars to control malaria in Nigeria since 2011.
“Over 50 per cent of U.S funding for malaria goes into procuring and distributing insecticide-treated bed nets, malaria diagnostic kits and malaria medicines.
“In addition, the U.S. supports advocacy and mobilisation to encourage members of the community to sleep under the bed nets every night, and trains health workers to test for malaria before treatment.
“Eliminating malaria in Sokoto State and throughout Nigeria as a whole is possible if we all work together,” it said.
