Jigawa Govt To Administer 6.8m Doses Of Anti-Malaria Vaccines
By: Ahmed Aminu Dutse
The Jigawa state government is to administer 6.8 million doses of anti-malaria vaccine on 1.5 million under the age of five in the state.
The state Malaria Consotium Campaign Director, Mr. Lurwanu Muhammad said that the vaccine was procured by the government in collaboration with the Malaria Consortium.
Muhammad said this on Monday in Dutse in his address at the opening of a Media Orientation on Integrated Insecticide Treated Nets and Seasonal Malaria Chemo Prevention Campaign in Jigawa state.
He said 1.5 million children under from age of three to 59 months will be targeted during the mass vaccination to hold from August 9 to 13, across the state.
Muhammad added that 3.2 million Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets would be distributed during the period to those vulnerable to Malaria attacks.
“Jigawa state government and malaria partners will be distributing about 3.2 million free insecticide-treated nets to households across 26 LGAs in 288 wards and 11,090 communities, from 9th to 13th August 2024,” he said.
He said that before the time, the state government and malaria partners will carry out a massive public enlightenment campaign aimed at ensuring the commodity properly reach the targeted people.
He said that the campaign was focused on distributing the free mosquito nets to households mostly in rural areas, where people are more at risk of contracting malaria.
The director however said “based on available evidence from malaria data, low ITN coverage and existing resources, the available ITNs will not reach all households in the state during this mass campaign”.
He started further that “Free malaria preventive medicines will be administered to children in all the 27 LGAS, wards, communities, and households.
The director explained that people wearing uniforms with the malaria logo will visit households from 24th to 28th July 2024 to give all eligible children the malaria preventive medicines.
“They wll issue free net cards to the households only in the wards targeted to receive ITNs during the mass campaign. Pregnant women would receive free insecticide treated nets during their first antenatal care visit and a child that is fully immunized can also receive free insecticide treated net at the nearest Government health facility”.
Muhammad said to prevent the spread of malaria, residents should throw away unused tires, close open water containers and water collecting areas around them and keep their environment clean.
