A/R: GHS to distribute long-lasting insecticidal nets to households in 41 districts

The Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) is set to embark on a household mass distribution of Long-lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) across 41 districts in the region.

This initiative is part of GHS's efforts to control malaria in the region and the country at large.

The GHS noted that this distribution aims to replace mosquito nets distributed three years ago, ensuring continued protection against malaria by sustaining the break in transmission of malaria-causing parasites from female mosquitoes to humans.

Registration of Beneficiaries
Addressing the media at the launch of the distribution exercise on Thursday, June 6, 2024, the Ashanti Regional Director of Health, Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang, stated that the GHS will use five days to register households in the region.

The registration will commence on June 7 and end on June 11, 2024. Dr. Tenkorang added that the main distribution of Long-lasting Insecticidal Nets will follow immediately after the registration exercise.

He emphasized that the public will need to take their coupons to various distribution points to receive their nets. Health officers will distribute the required number of nets free of charge based on the data on the coupons.

Call for Pregnant Women to Sleep Under Mosquito Nets

Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang advised that everyone, especially pregnant women and children under five, should sleep under treated mosquito nets to prevent malaria. He highlighted that sleeping under a mosquito net is one of the best ways to reduce malaria in the country.

He also expressed concern over the misuse of nets, noting that some people use them as garden fences or fishing nets, and urged that the nets be used for their intended purpose.