Abia State distributes millions of insecticide-treated nets
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The Abia State Government in Nigeria, working with the National Malaria Elimination Programme, will distribute over 3.03 million insecticide-treated nets throughout its 17 local government areas.
Information Commissioner Okey Kanu announced the plan following a State Executive Council meeting in Umuahia. The government valued the nets at more than ₦1 billion and intends the distribution to lower rates of malaria-related sickness and death.
Abia State has not distributed insecticide-treated nets through a mass campaign since 2010, so officials see this effort as crucial for strengthening malaria prevention. The Ministry of Health is collaborating with the National Malaria Elimination Programme to carry out the distribution across all local government areas. In a separate initiative, the Community Supported Health Insurance Programme will begin enrolling 1,000 residents of the Abiriba community in a health insurance scheme on September 16.
The Abiriba Improvement Union will fund the initial ₦18,000 enrollment cost for each member, representing a total investment of ₦18 million. Kanu encouraged other community groups throughout Abia State to support similar health insurance enrollment for their members. The state’s total enrollment in health insurance programs has reached 270,739, showing increased participation in government healthcare financing. Abia State is also actively recruiting medical consultants, officers, and dental officers to staff its health facilities, continuing efforts to improve healthcare service delivery.
