By Joseph Ligowe

Blantyre, December 25, Mana: Blantyre District Health Office (DHO) will commence mosquito net distribution in Blantyre rural and to 142 households in Blantyre urban, in an effort to reduce malaria incidents.

On November 4, this year Blantyre DHO informed communities in the district that it will start distributing nets through a stakeholders meeting.

During the meeting on Tuesday, the Director of Health and Social Services, Gift Kawalazira said the net distribution exercise was delayed due to other logistical challenges but that now they are ready and they will begin with Chileka Cluster this coming Thursday.

“Although we met with some hiccups during the net distribution campaign in Blantyre, we have managed to overcome them, and today we can say all is set on Xmas Box, we are starting with Chileka Cluster, Lirangwe and we will then move to Mpemba,” said Kawalazira.

Blantyre DHO Deputy Health Promotion Officer, Wongani Mbale applauded the district health management team for making a firm decision after mitigating the setbacks they encountered because the campaign will end on January 2, 2025, observing that it is necessary to distribute mosquito nets as soon as possible.

“During the rainy season we register an increase in cases of malaria so distributing these mosquito nets now will help the beneficiaries avoid malaria,” he said.

In 2023, there were 6.4 million confirmed malaria cases with an incidence rate of 320 malaria cases per 1000 population such that the campaign will help to reduce high numbers of malaria cases.