Residents laud Niger, partners for giving out free mosquito nets

Residents of Rafi, Wushishi and Gbako local government areas in Niger on Thursday commended the state government and its partners for giving them free Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITN) to fight malaria.

They spoke with the Newsmen at the venues of the distribution.

Niger government launched the distribution of 3.7 million ITNs on Sept. 1.

The distribution was launched in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme, the Society for Family Health, the Catholic Relief Service and Chemonics as partners.

Malam Sani Idris, a trader in Rafi, said that the use of the nets would help in the fight against killer malaria.

"Our women and children are dying from malaria. Men are not immune to it.

"It is because of this reason I must commend the government and its partners for giving us the nets.

"Only God knows how many lives are going to be saved as a result of this great intervention which has come at the right time,'' he said

A beneficiary in Wushishi, Amina Abubakar, called on the state government and its partners to sustain the gesture.

"This is a laudable effort and if it is possible, I will like them to continue this campaign even after now.

"They should make the distribution of the net a regular programme; may be once in every quarter so that more people can benefit,'' she said.

Another beneficiary, Ibrahim Ndamisto in Gbako, noted that government had done well by providing the nets, but expressed regret that the huge population in the area was under-covered.

"The nets are not sufficient and that is probably because they underestimated our population when they were planning.

"I want to commend them for providing these nets and I hope they do more in future,'' he said.

Organisers allocated 78,500 nets to Wushishi; 176,000 nets to Rafi and 121,500 to Gbako local governments areas.

Coordinators for Rafi and Wushishi local government areas said the nets were distributed to all nooks and crannies of the council areas following the micro work plan.

They explained that there were designated locations for people facing security challenges to collect the nets.