Health-Nigeria - Edo State Government has advised women in the state to utilise the insecticide treated mosquito nets that had been freely provided by the government to fight the malaria scourge. At the presentation/sensitisation ceremony organized by the office of the First Lady of Edo State at Government House, Benin City, the wife of the deputy governor, Deaconess Endurance Odubu, urged wives of local government transition committee chairmen to distribute the mosquito nets free of charge in their respective local government areas. She stated that the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan, has in her magnanimity, sent consignment of insecticide treated mosquito nets to the state.

Mrs. Odubu, however, encouraged them to augment the nets so as to get to more potential beneficiaries.

She asserted that malaria accounts for high mortality rate especially among children, adding that the state government has made health care free of charge for children of five years and below who are infected with malaria, including pregnant women.

Mrs. Odubu also harped on the need to ensure the mosquito nets were not sold.

In his lecture the resource person, Dr. Patrick Okundia, deputy chairman, Nigerian Medical Association, Edo State branch, enjoined women to desist from the erroneous belief that mosquito nets are harmful to health, adding that the use of mosquito nets still remains one of the best methods of preventing the malaria scourge.

Highpoint of the ceremony was the presentation of the mosquito nets to representatives of the various local government areas for onward distribution to indigent women in their locality, free of charge.

Also present at the ceremony were the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajia Maimuna Momudu, and other top government functionaries.

Responding on behalf of wives of other transition chairmen, Lady Roseline Oshiomobo, thanked the nation's first lady for providing the nets and Odubu for distributing them free of charge.

Francis Onoiribholo

Daily Independent/25/05/2011