By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
In an effort to curb malaria prevalence among boarding school students in Jigawa state, an insecticide Treated Net (ITNs) manufacturing company “BASF” has donated mosquito nets to the students of Science and Technical College, Hadejia of the state.
Speaking while presenting the mosquito treated nets BASF Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Country Cluster, West Africa, Dr Jean-Marc Ricca, said the gesture is to protect the students against malaria while in school.
The chief executive officer explained that it is also to complement the state government and other partners efforts in reducing prevalence of malaria in the state and the nation in general.
According to him “I’m happy to present 800 number of ITNs to you as part of our contribution to prevent and curb prevalence of malaria especially in these rainy season where staganent water and grasses that bread mosquito are all over. We would also retrieve old nets from the students to be recycled for other uses”.
Dr Jean-Marc Ricca added saying that the exercise will be an opportunity for the students to discover recycling for cleaner environment”
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He noted that the mosquito treated nets donation is not part of the main ITNs distribution to households in the state, but a new component of it called ‘End of Life’, under which old nets are retrieved from communities for recycled for cleaner and healthy environment.
Also, the Director Nature Conservation, Ministry of Environment, Mr Ibrahim Lawan, commended the manufacturer’s for retrieving the old nets for recycling as they are not degradable.
Lawan, who spoke on behalf of the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Nura Ibrahim, indicated that the state government is also collaborating with NGOs and other partners in recycling such non degradable materials for cleaner environment.
He explained that in order to make the environment clean, such materials are being collected and taken to industries for recycling purposes.
On his part, the Director Pharmaceutical Services, Ministry of Health, Pharm. Rabiu Yakubu, also commended the firm for supporting the state in the fight against malaria.
Yakubu indicated the gesture will go a long way in protecting the students against malaria.
The director, who spoke on behalf of the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Mohammad Kainuwa, called on the beneficiaries to ensure that they sleep under the nets in order to achieve the desired goal.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Deputy Head of Student of the college, Usman Harisu, commended the firm for the gesture.