By Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has donated 2.9 million long lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) to Sokoto State in a bid to tackle malaria disease.
Its Team Leader, LLIN Campaign Process in the state, Mr. Godwin Aidenagbon, made the remark at a one-day workshop for journalists held in Sokoto Monday.
He said the donation was funded under the United States President’s Malaria Initiative.
Aidenagbon said the move was aimed at supporting the state towards eradicating the malaria disease.
He emphasised that the donation was meant for onward distribution to households, adding that it was targeted at five million people in the state.
According to him, the insecticidal net would be distributed to two persons in each household.
The Team Leader stated that this was in line with the United States of America’s target to see to the elimination of malaria in the country by 2020.
Aidenagbon commended Governor Aminu Tambuwal for establishing the State Malaria Elimination Agency in order to tackle the disease.
“Sokoto is the only state in Nigeria that has an agency to fight the malaria disease and also the second state to have a replacement campaign.
“This is an indication of the present administration’s commitment to eliminate malaria. So, the United States is happy with the level of implementation of the programme in the state,” he said
In a remark, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Malaria Elimination Control, Alhaji Cika Abubakar, said the aim of the workshop was to see how the media could be engaged in information dissemination throughout the campaign which is expected to last for a period of nine weeks.
He underscored the role of the media in disseminating information to the people at the grassroots.
“We need the media to know what we are doing and see how they can be involved in disseminating information to rural communities.
“I believe this will go a long way in changing the wrong perception about our activities, “he stated.
The Director General of the State Malaria Elimination Agency, Aminu Umar, said the success of the campaign depends on the media and solicited the support from journalists in the state during the exercise.
Also speaking, Malam Usman Usman of the USAID, said the flag off of the malaria elimination campaign would commence on December 14, 2017 in the state.
