As the rainy season intensifies across northern Nigeria, Adamawa State is preparing to distribute more than 2.58 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) across all 226 political wards in a renewed effort to reduce malaria transmission.
The intervention, carried out in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, is expected to reach over 1.15 million residents, particularly households in high-risk communities.
Nigeria continues to carry one of the highest malaria burdens globally, despite recent improvements in reducing infection rates in some regions.
According to Benjamin Nashon, Programme Manager of the Adamawa State Malaria Elimination Programme, the campaign is part of broader efforts to strengthen malaria prevention at community level, especially during peak transmission periods.
He also disclosed that over 4.5 million doses of antimalarial medicines have been secured for the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) programme, which targets children aged 3 to 59 months.
The SMC approach, recommended by the World Health Organization, is designed to reduce malaria cases during high-risk months when transmission is highest.
Experts say insecticide-treated nets remain one of the most effective and affordable tools for preventing malaria, especially when consistently used in households. Representatives of implementing partners, including the Society for Family Health (SFH) and Management Sciences for Health (MSH), urged residents to ensure proper and regular use of mosquito nets, stressing that ownership alone is not enough.
They also emphasised that sustained prevention efforts remain critical to reducing malaria-related illness and deaths across Nigeria.
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