Abia Begins Malaria Net Distribution After 14-Year Gap.
—Ogbulafor Urges Residents to Sleep Under Treated Nets
The National Malaria Elimination Programme has announced the commencement of a statewide distribution of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) in Abia State, 14 years after the last mass distribution campaign in the state.
The National Coordinator of the programme, Dr. Nnenna Ogbulafor, disclosed this during the flag-off of the 2026 Insecticide-Treated Net Campaign held at the International Conference Centre, Ogurube Layout, Umuahia.
Ogbulafor described the campaign as an epoch-making event, attributing its successful return to the efforts of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti.
She said the campaign would cover all 17 local government areas and communities in the state, with every household expected to receive the free malaria-prevention nets.
According to her, the general distribution exercise would commence in about a week, while households in flood-affected communities in Umuahia South would receive nets earlier as part of efforts to protect vulnerable residents.
The national coordinator stressed that the success of the campaign depended not only on the distribution of the nets but also on their consistent and correct use by residents.
She urged parents, pregnant women and other residents to take the campaign seriously, noting that malaria continued to pose a major threat to public health, particularly among children under five and pregnant women.
Ogbulafor observed that Nigeria carries a significant share of the global malaria burden, making preventive measures such as sleeping under insecticide-treated nets essential to reducing malaria infections and deaths.
She also called on journalists and other media practitioners to intensify public enlightenment on the importance of using the nets, including during daytime naps and at night.
The national coordinator said sustained awareness campaigns would help ensure that residents understood how to use the nets properly and benefited from the free distribution exercise.
She emphasised that the nets were provided free of charge and urged households not to keep them unused but to make them part of their daily malaria-prevention practices.
The 2026 campaign is aimed at expanding access to insecticide-treated nets across Abia State and strengthening efforts to reduce malaria transmission and protect vulnerable population
