West Pokot residents have been urged to rightfully use mosquito nets which will be availed starting, Thursday, with an aim of curbing the prevalence of malaria.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting in Kapenguria,, County Director of Public Health and Sanitisation, Richard Kakuri, underscored the value of people using mosquito nets properly, saying it plays a big role in prevention of malaria caused by microscopic parasites transmitted when an individual is bitten.
“Stakeholders have a big role in disseminating information to the entire public on good and proper usage of nets,” Kakuri noted.
He added that the aim of the County is to ensure that malaria infection is eradicated by ensuring residents get nets and use them appropriately.
County Chief Pharmaceuticals Technologist, Boaz Pkopus, said that mapping and registration process, has been successful and statistics show that a total of 126,650 households, are set to benefit from the distribution.
“A population of 821,565 people will receive mosquito nets. This comprises those who registered and even those who didn’t register,” he reiterated.
Pkopus urged all stakeholders among them doctors, community leaders, the clergy and the media to assist in sensitising the public to attain 100 percent coverage.
The nets distribution exercise will be conducted in approximately two hundred centres across all wards in the County which include hospitals, schools, churches and chiefs’ camps.
The distribution will be a five-day exercise and will kick-off, Thursday, where simultaneous distribution will be done.
Chiefs and their Assistants will help officers in the field to identify those who didn’t register, so that they would be issued with nets and making sure nets are distributed fairly and people will be advised to utilize correctly.
By Richard Muhambe and Robert Kiprop
