Borno: Media urged to track distribution of 5m malaria nets

The Borno State Malaria Elimination Programme (SMEP) has urged media organisations to monitor the distribution of five million Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) across communities in the state.

Mr John Dada, Social and Behaviour Change Communication Officer, SMEP, made the call on Monday in Maiduguri during the 2026 ITN Distribution Campaign Orientation for media personnel.

Dada said the appeal was aimed at ensuring that the nets reached households across the state, while strengthening accountability and transparency throughout the distribution process statewide.

He urged journalists to hold stakeholders accountable by monitoring distribution activities, verifying information and reporting gaps that could undermine the effectiveness of the malaria intervention campaign.

Dada described the media as the watchdog of society, emphasising that journalists had a responsibility to track the movement of nets from distribution points to households.

“As watchdogs of society, you have the responsibility of checking how the nets are distributed to households and ensuring that they reach the intended beneficiaries,” he said.

He said about 4,200 mobilisation and distribution personnel had been deployed to facilitate effective distribution and ensure adequate coverage across communities and hard-to-reach areas statewide.

Dada urged the media to provide accurate information and promote public awareness on the importance of collecting and properly using insecticide-treated nets for malaria prevention.

Also speaking, Dr Goni Ali, Director of Public Health in the Borno Ministry of Health, said the state government was implementing measures to eliminate malaria.

Ali said the measures included improved waste management practices, compliance with prescribed medication and intensified public awareness campaigns aimed at reducing malaria transmission statewide.

According to him, malaria campaigns were also being extended to hard-to-reach communities and strengthened in health facilities to improve prevention, treatment and public health outcomes.

He urged residents to support malaria elimination efforts by keeping their surroundings clean, complying with medical advice and consistently using insecticide-treated nets provided during campaigns.

Newsmen report that the Borno Government commenced the initiative in collaboration with Malaria Consortium to tackle malaria and reduce the disease burden across the state