The government of the United States of America (USA) has donated 2.4 mosquito nets to Nigeria.
A statement Tuesday by the US embassy in Abuja on Tuesday said the donation was made through the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), to help in currbing the scourge of malaria in Nigeria.
The current donation, the statement said, was carried out in Jos, the capital of Plateau state.
Unveiling the nets, Resident Legal Adviser, USAID, Jonathan Cone, said three million residents of the statw are going to benefit.
According to him, “As long as there are mosquitos, there will be malaria, but if we all work together to protect ourselves from being bitten by sleeping under a bed net every night, we can control malaria for the good health of everyone in Plateau, and across Nigeria.
“Sleeping under the nets put a vital barrier between people and malarial mosquitoes, most importantly from dusk to dawn, and is one of the best ways to prevent malaria.”
The PMI program is jointly implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In addition to the $6.9 million in nets, PMI has also provided funding for logistics, in partnership with the Plateau state government, which led the planning, coordination, and distribution effort.
Since 2011, PMI has procured more than 60 million insecticide-treated nets, valued at $126 million as part of a $565 million overall contribution to malaria control in Nigeria.
PMI also supports advocacy and mobilization to encourage members of the community to sleep under the bed nets every night, and trains health workers to test for malaria before treatment.
