The Plateau Ministry of Health has taken delivery of 3.2 million treated mosquito nets worth N3.8 billion from United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Dr Lar Ndam, Commissioner for Health, who took Gov. Simon Lalong to where the nets were stored, said that a counterpart fund was to be paid before the distribution of nets would commence.
Ndam told the governor that the distribution would commence immediately the challenge of the counterpart fund and the money to pay ad-hoc staff was paid.
“N487 million is needed for distribution as the money will help us to employ at least 25, 000 ad-hoc staff that will help in the distribution.
“The net is very important because we recently have a confirmed case of yellow fever. “If we have nets in all houses it will help prevent yellow fever because it is transmitted by a vector called mosquito. ”
USAID has done a lot in Plateau; they are involved in malaria prevention, they are involved in family planning, they are involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis for the benefit of our people,” he said.
Gov. Lalong said that his administration had prioritised health care delivery and would not delay in the payment of the counterpart fund for the distribution of the nets to commence.
He said the State Government was liaising with donor agencies for the good of the state and thanked USAID for the donation. “By the grace of God the counterpart fund is not a problem to us.
“I am here myself to take a look and quickly facilitate the release of the counterpart funds. “We believe that if our people use the nets well it would reduce the health challenges of our people caused by lack of mosquito nets,” he said.
The governor directed the ministry to ensure that the nets were distributed to indigent persons especially those in the rural communities first, before those in the towns.
He warned that anyone caught diverting or hoarding the nets would be penalised severely.
