Malima warns Morogoro residents against misuse of mosquito nets

MOROGORO: MOROGORO Regional Commissioner, Adam Malima has warned residents against misusing mosquito nets for unintended purposes such as poultry keeping, fencing gardens, and fishing, instead of using them to prevent malaria.

Malima issued the warning recently while launching a regional campaign to distribute insecticide-treated mosquito nets under the slogan: “Zero Malaria Starts with Me – I Take Action to Eliminate It.”

He said authorities have observed that, despite being distributed for protective use, some residents continue to misuse the nets, undermining efforts to eliminate malaria.

“We must be firm on this matter and closely monitor households to ensure proper use of mosquito nets in order to control malaria infections in our communities,” RC Malima said.

He added that Morogoro aims to become one of the leading regions in the fight against malaria.

“The fight against malaria is not the responsibility of the government alone, but of every citizen,” he emphasised.

RC Malima also directed District Commissioners to strengthen public education on the importance of sleeping under insecticide-treated nets and to ensure measures are taken to eliminate mosquito breeding sites, in order to guarantee the success of the campaign.

A total of 1,686,933 insecticide-treated mosquito nets are being distributed across seven of the region’s nine councils identified as having high malaria prevalence.

The nets will reach 165 wards, 656 villages, and 1,047 distribution points.

ALSO READ: Over 1.6 million in Coast Region to get free mosquito nets

They are being provided free of charge as part of a broader strategy to reduce malaria infections, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women.

“This initiative aims to ensure that every family sleeps under a treated mosquito net every night to reduce infections and protect lives,” Malima said.

Meanwhile, the Director of Logistics at the Medical Stores Department (MSD), Hassan Ibrahim, said that between 2019 and 2020, more than 16 million mosquito nets were distributed to 50 councils nationwide, demonstrating the government’s strong commitment to combating malaria.

On her part, Stella Kajange, Malaria Coordinator from the Prime Minister’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), said the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with PMO-RALG, has developed national guidelines to strengthen malaria control efforts.

She noted that success will depend on cooperation across multiple sectors, emphasising that the fight against malaria is a shared responsibility across the entire community