Residents of Ilorin, the Kwara capital, have commended the state government for the recent house-to-house distribution of insecticide treated mosquito nets to them to prevent the spread of malaria.
The people made the commendation in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ilorin on Sunday.
Adebayo Lawal said that the house-to-house distribution of the nets was a good idea, as it made the items get to people, especially those with average and low income.
Lawal said that the people were happy because the gesture had helped in reducing the risk of contracting malaria through insect bite.
He said that many residents found it difficult to buy insecticide treated nets due to the cost, as they focused more on buying food.
Rukayat Jimoh also commended the government for its effort in ensuring that almost everybody in the state got a treated mosquito net.
Jimoh said that before the distribution, many homes did not have mosquito nets and noted that the situation was dangerous for health.
She said that the lack of nets had forced many residents to use different insecticides in killing mosquitoes to prevent malaria.
According her, some of the products were harmful to health, while the use of treated mosquito nets was more efficient in preventing malaria in homes.
Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had expressed concern that more than 50 per cent of health complications reported across public hospitals in the state resulted from poorly treated malaria-related cases.
AbdulRazaq, while launching the house-to-house distribution of the 2.3 million insecticide treated mosquito nets, quoted experts as saying that malaria was number one killer disease in sub-Saharan Africa.
The governor reiterated his commitment to the fight against the disease in the state.
The state government received the mosquito nets from Global Funds, after it had paid its counterpart funds.