The Akwa Ibom State Government, in collaboration with the Government of United States and Against Malaria Foundation (AMF) as well as the National Malaria Elimination Programme, is set to distribute over 3.9 million Insecticide-treated Nets (ITNs) to every household in the State.
The Commissioner for Health, Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Ekem Emmanuel John, disclosed this during a media parley to flag off the 2026 state free Insecticide Treated Nets distribution campaign in Uyo, the State Capital.
The Commissioner said the Insecticide Treated Nets is provided free of charge by the Akwa Ibom State Government in partnership with the National Malaria Elimination Programme, the United States Government, and the Against Malaria Foundation.
Doctor John explained that the exercise will be carried out in two phases with the first phase, which is the household mobilization campaign, holding from June 1-7, 2026 will involve the distribution of token slips to households.
According to the Commissioner, during the second phase, which will run from June 20 to June 26, 2026, representatives of households are expected to present their token slips at designated distribution points in exchange for the free nets.
“Before these nets are distributed, every household must be registered. This is referred to as household mobilization where persons wearing uniforms with malaria logos will visit the households from 1st to 7th June 2026 to register and give out token slips that will entitle each household to free nets. One net per token ”.
“Distribution of the free nets will commence from 20th to 26th June 2026. A female representative of each household is expected to go to the distribution point written on their token slip to collect free nets. Once collected, the new nets should be spread out to air under a shade for 24 hours before hanging it in the sleeping area. Every member of the family should sleep inside with the nets well-tucked over the sleeping area every night all year round to prevent malaria. Let us win the fight against malaria in Akwa Ibom State by sleeping inside an Insecticide-Treated Net every night,”, the Commissioner explained.
He said this is done to ensure accountability and effective distribution of the Nets. “These token slips are extremely important, as they will be exchanged for insecticide treated nets during the distribution exercise. We therefore urge all households to cooperate with the mobilizers and ensure that someone is available at home to provide the required information during the registration period”, he added.
Doctor John also appreciated all development partners for their collaboration, support, and contributions towards the successful implementation of the free Insecticide Treated Nets distribution campaign.
He noted that this year’s mass distribution campaign, alongside other malaria control interventions being implemented by the state government, is aimed at significantly reducing and ultimately eliminating the malaria burden in Akwa Ibom State.
Doctor John said the malaria prevalence rate in the state has reduced drastically from over 29.9 percent in 2021 to about 15.5 percent in 2025.
The Commissioner however noted that despite the progress made in the fight against malaria, malaria still remains a major public health threat and called for more collaboration of all stakeholders in the fight against malaria menace.
“There is still need for sustained investment and intensified efforts to further reduce the malaria burden to the pre-elimination target of below 5% in Akwa Ibom State”.
The Commissioner further expressed appreciation to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, PhD, for his sustained commitment to malaria elimination and other healthcare interventions across the state.
Presenting an overview of the campaign, the Campaign Manager, Global Health Supply Chain–Procurement and Supply Management, Patience Ochibe, disclosed that worn-out and expired insecticide-treated nets will be retrieved by waste management agencies across all Local Government Areas of the state for recycling.
She appealed to residents to cooperate with the personnel who will be deployed to ensure the successful implementation of the campaign.
Mrs. Ochibe further stated that the state-level training had been concluded, while ward mobilizers’ training is in progress. According to her, these measures have been put in place to ensure the effective distribution of the nets to all parts of the state.
Malaria is a disease transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes and can be life-threatening to children and pregnant women.
According to the World Malaria Report, 2025, Nigeria accounts for over 68 million malaria cases annually, and an estimated 30% of child and 11% of maternal deaths each year are due to malaria.
Sleeping inside an insecticide-treated net is one of the most effective ways to prevent malaria, as it is a physical and chemical barrier against mosquitoes.
Studies show that the use of ITNs reduced malaria incidence by 50 percent in sub-Saharan Africa, a region that accounts for more than 90 percent of global cases (World malaria report, 2017).
By; Uko Sam, Uyo.
