–Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9 are the targets

THE Ministry of Health on Friday commenced the mass distribution of long-lasting insecticide (LLI) nets in a bid to prevent the spread of Malaria in vulnerable regions.

This distribution, which is themed, “United Against Malaria”, was launched at the Roger Hinds Hotel in the town of Mahdia.

In his featured remarks, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony stated that, overall, just around 60,000 bed nets will be distributed across the country in targetted regions.

“The regions that we are targetting are really Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine, and that’s because Malaria remains endemic in these regions,” he said.

To this end, he noted that the Ministry of Health has taken on a different task as opposed to the past, where persons with mosquito-borne diseases were just treated. The focus now is more on prevention.
He added, “In the past, our approach to Malaria would have been that Malaria is inevitable in these regions, and, therefore, people at some point would come to us; we diagnose it, we treat it, and that’s the end of that.”

However, as part of this new programme, Dr. Anthony said that they have set a new target to effectively eliminate Malaria by 2030.

To establish the regions that will be targetted, Dr. Anthony said that studies were conducted to establish whether there is a correlation between the activities done in regions and the increase in Malaria cases.

“What we have found is that in mining communities, we are seeing a corresponding increases with malaria cases,” he said.

Very often in these mining communities, it was noted that mosquito breeding sites are created following mining activities.
This, the minister indicated has been a challenge for quite some time and as a result, there will be region-specific programmes for each region as part of the distribution programme.

Against this backdrop, he indicated that the Health Ministry has called in miners and relevant government bodies, and has laid the problem out to them to be able to address the increase in cases recorded each year.

With this, Dr. Anthony said that they will soon work along with miners to facilitate training in detecting malaria cases in the camps and possibly get rapid test kits into the mining communities.

Meanwhile, it was noted that the distribution will continue across the country in the affected regions as the government intends to eliminate malaria by 2030. The minister further urged recipients to make proper use of the treated nets.

Further to this, Regional Health Officer Dr. Talitha Cort stated that as the distribution exercise is launched, the health ministry is not just providing a tool for protection but is also giving hope and health to countless families.

“These nets are a proven and effective barrier against mosquitoes, drastically reducing the incidence of malaria infections. This represents our collective dedication to a future where no one has to suffer from this preventable disease,” she said.

The RHO added that the efforts are a testament to the power of collaboration and shared goal of eradicating malaria.