48 million Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) were distributed in 34 states in 2012.
Dr. Festus Okoh, Programme Assistant, National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP),
64 million nets were targeted for distribution.
``By January, 2013, we will start the distribution of the nets in the remaining states.
``Hopefully, by March, we would have finished the distribution of 64 million nets which is our target for 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT),” Okoh said. He quoted the World Health Organisation (WHO) as saying that the use of Insecticide Treated Net (ITN) was one of the most cost-effective interventions against malaria.
Okoh said that 2010 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey Report showed that 42 per cent of households in Nigeria owned at least one treated nets.
``We have not done any survey after 2010, but, if we are to go by 2010 survey, 42 per cent of the households in Nigeria own at least an ITN.
``In terms of usage, about 29 per cent of children under five and 34 per cent of pregnant women slept under LLIN in the night before the survey,” he said.
Okoh said the use of the net had been quite effective in controlling malaria, adding that other measures should be adopted to complement this measure.
``Other malaria preventive measures that could be used to control malaria are Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), which is a new intervention.
``The other preventive measure is Intermittent Preventive Therapy (IPT) using sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine, for pregnant women, just to reduce the malaria parasite load in a pregnant woman,” he said. (NAN)
