…Campaign Deploys 4.8m Nets Worth ₦23.8bn Across 20 LGAs
…Govt Commits Over ₦230m as Malaria Prevalence Drops to 17.8%
By Abdulwahab Muhammad, SSA
Communication to the Governor of Bauchi State
The Bauchi State Government has launched a massive distribution of 4.8 million insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) targeting approximately 9.9 million residents across the state’s 20 Local Government Areas, in a renewed push to reduce malaria transmission and protect vulnerable households.
The statewide campaign, scheduled to run from Sunday, September 27 to Saturday, October 3, 2026, will distribute the mosquito nets through about 1,903 designated distribution points across Bauchi State.
Flagging off the campaign at the Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu Hall of the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre, Bauchi, Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed urged residents to take full advantage of the intervention by collecting, properly installing and consistently sleeping under the treated nets.
The Governor, represented by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau, particularly stressed the importance of protecting children and pregnant women, who are among those most vulnerable to malaria.
Governor Mohammed said the intervention reflects his administration’s broader commitment to protecting lives, strengthening the state’s healthcare system and investing in human capital development.
He expressed appreciation to the National Malaria Elimination Programme, the United States Government, Against Malaria Foundation, Global Health Supply Chain and other development partners for their support towards the success of the campaign.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sani Muhammad Dambam, said the Bauchi State Government has consistently provided counterpart funding to attract and sustain critical health interventions.
According to him, Governor Bala Mohammed approved over ₦230 million for the 2026 ITN campaign, demonstrating the administration’s commitment to malaria prevention and improved healthcare delivery.
Dr. Dambam disclosed that the 4.8 million insecticide-treated nets are valued at approximately ₦23.8 billion, warning that the commodities are strictly meant for public health purposes and must not be diverted.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria, BACATMA, Dr. Adamu Umar Sambo, said sustained interventions have contributed to a significant reduction in malaria prevalence in the state.
He said malaria prevalence in Bauchi State had declined from more than 34 percent in previous years to 17.8 percent, citing the latest national indicators survey.
Dr. Sambo explained that the 4.8 million nets were expected to provide at least one insecticide-treated net for every two persons, with approximately 1,903 distribution points established across the state’s 20 LGAs to facilitate access.
A representative of the Global Health Supply Chain, Procurement and Supply Management programme, Jury Bako, commended the Bauchi State Government for committing more than ₦200 million towards the exercise.
Bako disclosed that the campaign would provide temporary employment opportunities for about 17,900 residents, while targeting protection for approximately 9.9 million people across the state.
He assured residents that every mosquito net supplied for the campaign was intended for distribution to eligible households.
Representing the National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr. Nnenna Ogulafor, Mrs. Mary Acema disclosed that more than 12.7 million insecticide-treated nets had been distributed in Bauchi State since 2010.
She described the 2026 campaign as another major milestone in the fight against malaria, explaining that the exercise would incorporate a digital household technology solution designed to strengthen data quality, accountability and real-time decision-making.
The Society for Family Health and Against Malaria Foundation similarly commended the Bauchi State Government and other partners for their collaboration towards reducing the burden of malaria.
They urged beneficiaries not merely to collect the nets but to ensure that family members sleep under them every night.
The development partners stressed that the true success of the campaign would ultimately be measured not by the number of nets distributed, but by their consistent and proper use in preventing malaria and protecting families across Bauchi State.
Published by Alphapressmedia.com
