By Martha Agas
The Islamic Counselling Initiative of Nigeria (ICIN), has donated 1,000 Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) to some communities in Jos North Local Government.
The organisation distributed the nets to Naraguta, Hwol and Yelwa Zangam communities during its annual medical outreach on Saturday in Jos.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of the organisation, Mrs Fatima Suleiman, said that the outreach was the 14th edition of its annual intervention aimed at preventing malaria in the state.
Some health workers at the Outreach
She said that the free medical outreach supported by Nasco group of companies, particularly targets pregnant women, children aged between five and 15 years, and the elderly for screening and distribution of free malaria drugs.
‘’We screen and distribute free drugs during our intervention. We also give deworming drugs, multivitamins and also conduct health talks.
‘’The intervention is to deserving communities through an assessment that we feel need the intervention,’ ’she said.
She said that in addition to the annual medical outreach, ICIN also conducts sensitisation campaigns on keeping clean environment through sanitation and clearing of drainages to destroy breeding habitats of mosquitoes.
The ICIN official also said that primary healthcare centres in the selected communities were usually engaged during their interventions, saying that they leverage on existing structures for the success of their outreaches.
Speaking while flagging off the outreach, the Village Head of Naraguta community, Mr Mohammed Bello, urged beneficiaries not to use the nets for domestic purposes.
‘’Do not use the nets for sieving or any purpose outside its intended use of preventing mosquito bites to prevent malaria,‘’ he said.
He thanked the organisation for selecting his community for the intervention, saying that he would cooperate with organisations and government on initiatives that would improve the welfare of his people.
He said that the large number of persons that came for the intervention followed the mobilisation conducted in the community.
Bello expressed concern on the high number of malaria cases in Nigeria, urging government to be committed on its eradication as it still poses a health hazard.
He added that community members also have critical roles to play in the prevention of malaria, especially in imbibing a clean environment and sleeping under mosquito nets.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Amina Salis, thanked the organisation for the intervention and prayed for their success in other programmes they are executing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the intervention was also in line with the 2023 theme of world malaria day, “Time to Deliver Zero Malaria: Invest, Innovate, Implement.”
