The US Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has donated treated mosquito nets worth shs. 175 million to Busia County with a view to strengthen the fight against malaria.
The consignment consisting of 600,000 treated mosquito nets was delivered at Busia County Teaching and Referral Hospital on Saturday by the USAID/KEMSA Medical Commodities Program team.
Speaking to the press after receiving the 12,000 bales of mosquito nets, Busia Deputy Governor Moses Mulomi said the items will be distributed to the intended beneficiaries to ensure that there is value for the effort and money put in the program by the donor.
“The objective is to ensure that those who get the mosquito nets including expectant mothers put them into proper use to help prevent malaria which remains a killer disease,’ he said.
Mulomi noted that the County has 2% malaria mortality rate and prevalence rate of 26% adding that measures are being put in place jointly with other partners to improve the usage of the nets.
He further advised the local residents to maintain high standards of environmental cleanliness to control the disease.
The USAID/KEMSA Medical Commodities Program Team leader Dr. Peter Mwangi urged the County leadership to put more efforts towards the control of malaria which remains not only a killer disease but also has economic impacts.
‘Now that we have delivered the nets from the National level there will be distribution to all households in the County to ensure that everyone sleeps under the nets for the purposes of achieving that protection,’ he said.
The items will be distributed to more than 180,000 households from 34 distribution centres across the seven Sub Counties.
by Salome Alwanda
