The Ministry of Health has embarked on distributing mosquito nets to Kenyans to avoid spreading of malaria disease. [Photo:youtube.com]
The Ministry of Health has said it will distribute over 413,271 treated mosquito nets to families in West Pokot County.
Speaking during the official launch of the distribution, on Thursday at Kapenguria, West Pokot County director of health Dr. Norbert Abuya said that the ministry decided to distribute nets to families in the County after malaria was ranked the number one killer disease in the County.
Abuya said the ministry began distribution of free nets in the year 2014 and cases of malaria prevalence in the County had drastically dropped.
“In the year 2013, malaria was ranked as the number one killer disease in this region but since we began distribution of free nets in 2014 cases of malaria have dropped and the disease is now at number three,” he said.
The doctor asked residents to use nets to help in eradicating the disease in the region. He also urged residents to use the nets for the purpose they are meant for. “The nets are supposed to help prevent us from mosquito bites and not for fencing the gardens,” he said.
Abuya said that residents shouldn’t continue using nets that they distributed in 2014 but instead they should use the new ones. The doctor also expressed fears that many people might’ve been locked out of the exercise since the registration process was conducted in July when many people were busy involved in campaigns.
“Chiefs weren’t able to register all people since most residents were engaged in political campaigns,” he said.
He said those who were locked out of the registration exercise will be given nets on the last day after those who registered have been issued.
West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo said the malaria prevalence was high in the County during the rainy season and asked residents to make good use of the nets.