By Enefiok Ndon
UYO
The Akwa Ibom government, through the Ministry of Health, has inaugurated an Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) Campaign Coordinating Committee (ICCC) to oversee the state-wide distribution of 3.9 million bed nets.
The commissioner for health, Dr Ekem John, who inaugurated the committee at the conference room of the Ministry of Health, recently, described development as another significant step in the collective commitment to safeguard the well-being of the people as malaria continue to remain one of the leading public challenges in the state and indeed the nation.
“It affects our children, our pregnant women, households, our productivity, and ultimately, our development. Yet, malaria is preventable. Malaria is controllable and with sustained effort, malaria is beatable,” John stressed.
He maintained that the most effective tools in the campaign against malaria is the Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs), as evidence has shown that consistent use of ITNs can drastically reduce malaria burden and mortality.
This, the commissioner said, informed the partnership with national, international agencies and stakeholders to embark on large-scale ITNs distribution campaign such that every household have access to the life-saving tool.
He added that the success of the campaign depends not only on the availability of bed nets but strong coordination, efficient planning, community engagement, and entering.
The mandate of the committee as reeled by the commissioner reads: to support resource mobilization for cost effective campaign implementation; support social mobilization action for effective demand creation; to ensure security and safety of personnel and commodities across the 31 local government areas; facilitate timely delivery and distribution of ITNs at the local government area and distribution points; to ensure coordination among all implementing partners and stakeholders; to monitor the process of household mobilization and ITN distribution processes at lower levels and guarantee that the nets reach every household in the state.
Represented by the permanent secretary in the Ministry, Dr Patrick Essiet, he remarked that members of the committee were carefully selected based on their expertise, commitment, and resolve to support Governor Umo Eno in the development of the state and the protection of the health of the people in line with the ARISE Agenda.
He appreciated the support of national and global health partners, particularly Africa Malaria Foundation (AMF), for providing the 3.9 million ITNs, the United States government with operational distribution, and the Global Health Supply Chain Programme – Programme Procurement and System Management (GHSC-PSM) for the system support given to the state.
The health commissioner also extended appreciation to Ibom Air for its donation of 50,000 doses of SP and community sensitisation during the commemoration of the 2025 World Malaria Day.
The federal government, development partners, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), traditional rulers, and health workers were not left out for praise in the efforts to strengthen the health system and save lives.
John affirmed that the government will remain unwavering in the its mission to reduce the burden of malaria by continuing to invest in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and pubic health services as well as holding every stakeholder accountable and ensure no community was left out in the distribution.
“By inaugurating this committee today, we are reaffirming our commitment to building a healthier state,one where no mother loses a child to malaria, and citizen can live a full and productive life,” he stated.
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