The Cross River State Ministry of Health in collaboration with Breakthrough Action Nigeria and other partners, are seeking punitive measures to curb the abuse of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) also known as mosquito Nets.
Many residents in Cross River State have been observed over the years to deliberately abuse the use of the ITN which is donated to them every four years free, by the health ministry and partners for the prevention of Mosquito bites, which is the major cause of malaria.
Nigerian Tribune observes that residents use the nets instead for farming purposes, instead of protection against mosquitoes as originally intended: the ITNs are instead used to protect crops like maize, water leaves, cocoa n, gardens and other vegetable farming.
However, the Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr Janet Ekpenyong frowns at the development and names Calabar South local government area and residents, as the worst “notorious” abusers of the ITNs in the state. She said a committee has been set up to monitor the usage of the ITN, as the state is distributing the next batch of 2.79 million Insecticide Treated Nets free to all households in the state.
“Sleeping inside the Insecticide Treated Nets is one of the best ways to prevent malaria: studies show, that the use of ITNs reduces malaria incidence by 50 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for more than 90 per cent of global cases; let us win the fight against malaria, by sleeping inside the Insecticide Treated Nets every night in our homes.
“After one or two years after distributing the nets, it’s always as if we have never had nets in the state; instead of seeing how to use the nets, residents rather channel them to fishing, or protecting their farms.
“The state has a Taskforce team, that has been visiting communities working strongly with traditional leaders to enforce the legitimate and lawful use of the nets; and we know there is an LGA that is very notorious, is Calabar South is notorious for abusing the use of Mosquito nets. Even when you pack the nets off, the next two days they will put up nets again in their gardens and farms,” Dr Janet said.
However, while the percentage of households with at least one ITN is 53 per cent in Cross River State, only about a 3rd, which is 31 per cent use the ITNs, others do not use them or abuse them. The Cross River State Health Commissioner, Janet Ekpenyong also shed some light on the dangers of using mosquito Nets to farm; she warned that the practice can cause Cancer, catarrh and other health complications.
According to her, “The chemicals in these nets are not meant for food or crop cultivation or ingested that’s why we have so much cancer these days; once you put up those nets and the rain pours on them, wash the chemicals into the vegetables, and you sell them out, people buy not knowing there are chemicals infested: it causes abnormal proliferation of salt begins to occur in our body; it promotes other health hazards.
Cross River State with its unique vegetative atmosphere is ranking very high in Malaria prevalence of up to 24 per cent, a very worrisome status medically.
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