Akwa Ibom combats malaria with 3.9m Insecticide Treated Nets set for distribution to all households
Ahead of this year’s World Malaria Day celebration, Akwa Ibom has intensified advocacy and awareness campaigns towards the elimination of the life-threatening illness with plans to distribute 3.9m insecticide Treated Nets to all households in the state.
With the theme, “Driven To End Malaria: Now We Can, Now We Must,” the state government in partnership with groups and organisations have mapped out strategies for the actualisation of its malaria elimination programmes.
Ukeme John, a medical doctor and Programme Manager, State Malaria Elimination Programme said in an interview that apart from the ITN, the monthly environment sanitation introduced by the state government has played a major role in raising awareness on environmental sanitation that checks the breeding of mosquitoes from stagnant water.
She described the use of ITN as one of effective tools in the campaign adding that sleeping inside the insecticide treated nets was a sure way to prevent Malaria attack.
She however expressed dismay over the wrong use of nets in many households adding that insecticide Treated Nets should be used only for the purpose it was intended where people should sleep inside the nets always.
On the theme for the 2026 World Malaria Day, she said “It is a call for all hands to be on deck for malaria to be defeated.
John expressed delight that the prevalence rate of malaria has witnessed a significant drop between 2021 and 2025 adding that the recent data by Malaria Indicator Survey has shown a reduction from 30.1 percent in 2921 to 15.5 percent in 2025.
She also highlighted the use of Rapid Diagnostic Tests(RDTs) as another tool towards Malaria elimination adding that “Malaria should only be treated with Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) after a confirmation test.
“Malaria is preventable, treatable and curable.” She added.
She advised pregnant women to register for ante natal care where they would be given free Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Pregnancy with Sulfadoxine -Pyrimethamine(SP) which she said prevents the parasite from cloaking and blocking the transfer of nutrients through the placenta to the unborn baby.
“Malaria infection could lead to severe anemia, and pre-time labour on the mother while the baby could suffer intra- uterine problem (growing restrictions or smaller than age) , and complications leading to miscarriage or death of the victims.”
” Using all these effective tools, collaboratively with the federal,state, implementing partners, communities , families and individuals, we can eliminate malaria, ” she stated.