ITNs abused in Kalomo

—–Chief Sipatunyana of the Tonga speaking people of Kalomo has expressed concern over the continuous rampant misuse of Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNs) and called on the Malaria Task Force (MATF) to take action to arrest the situation.

Chief Sipatunyana said the misuse of ITNs nets in his chiefdom was defeating the purpose of the distribution of the nets to various households in the area.

Speaking during a handover of 309 Buffalo bicycles to community health workers drawn from 35 health facilities dotted in Zimba and Kalomo districts early this week, the traditional ruler said it was worrying that while government’s collaborating partners were putting much emphasis to eradicate Malaria, end-users of ITNs were not doing their best to put the hard earned resources to good use for their benefit.

The bicycles are meant to lessen the long distances encountered by the trained community health workers involved in the malaria surveillance and infection project donated by AKROS, a non-governmental organization that is partnering with the ministry of community development mother and child health.

And officiating at the same function, Kalomo District Commissioner, Lucia Mwiinde, urged the recipients of the bicycles to put them into good use so that government achieves its goal of partial or total elimination of malaria in the district in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

In a speech read on her behalf by District Administrative Officer, Justus Phiri, Ms Mwiinde said the community based malaria test and treat campaign spearheaded by AKROS was a welcome move in the fight of the disease which is one of the top killer diseases in the world.

The Kalomo District Malaria Task Forcechairperson, Forster Nasilele, who is also Council Secretary, earlier prodded the community health workers to double their efforts in their catchment area to combat the disease whose prevalence is reported to be high in chief Simwatachela’s area of Zimba district.

Mr Nasilele, however, noted that out of a 1000, only 14 malaria incidents are being reported, bringing Kalomo to be the lowest in Southern province.