Tina Ezin, Calabar
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United States Agency for Development Fund (USAID) have declared their readiness to partner Cross River state government in eliminating malaria in the state.
The implementing partners to the state reiterated this at the weekend during the official flag off ceremony of the Integrated 2023 Distribution of Free House to House Insecticide -Treated Nets (ITNs) and the first round of Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Week at Channel View Hotel in Calabar.
the UNICEF representative Ms. Juliet
Chiluwe, said the intervention programme was quite apt considering the devastating effect of the malaria disease on the masses.
Chiluwe, who is the Chief of field officer, Enugu field office,South South/South East Region, also called on both nursing and expectant mothers in the state to take advantage of the exercise.
“UNICEF will continue to partner with Cross River State in achieving
zero tolerance in malaria prevention in women and children as well as
collaborating with other implementing partners and other state
agencies to eliminate malaria in the state.”
She said, “UNICEF is grateful for the support and leadership of the
Cross River State government. As you have witnessed, there is renewed on the part of the state government to reduce malaria prevalence to the barest minimum if not completely exterminating it.
“We are commitment in terms of the right of women and children in the
leadership of his excellency, the governor of Cross River State, Senator
Bassey Otu in safe guiding their health especially pregnant mothers.”
Also speaking, representative of the
USAID-PMI Mission Director, Miss Ann Ugye, urged the residents to take
advantage of the free insecticide treated net, noting that it was a privilege for Cross River to pilot the intervention programme.
She emphasized the need for all critical stakeholders to mobilize the masses towards a successful exercise.
She said her organization had
recorded three impactful interventions including the current one in the state within a short while.
Ugye disclosed that over two million insecticide treated nets are being distributed in the state.
The Wife of the state governor, Rev.. Eyoawan Otu, who was decorated at as the Net Ambassador of the state advised to make judicious use of the ITN in stead of using it for farming and fishing which could be harmful to health.
She said the importance of the exercise cannot be overemphasized,
noting that regrettably malaria is one of the leading causes of maternal and child deaths in the country.
The first Lady expressed appreciation to the various partners and appealed to them to sustain the commitment towards eliminating malaria in Cross River State.
“Today, the government of Cross River State with the support from the
United States President’s malaria initiative officially flags off the
ITN campaign to signal the distribution of 2,797,350 nets in 1,025
distribution points spread across the 196 wards in the state”, she partly stated.”
Others partners include, World Health Organization (WHO), Breakthrough ACTION Nigeria (BA-N) and Vitamin Angels.
