Mosquito Nets being used for making chicken run fencings, wedding dresses and fishing nets
File: Women posing with their newly donated Mosquito nets
The District administration in Kalomo has expressed concern over the misuse of Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNs) by some people in the communities.
District Commissioner, Omar Munsanje has since directed all concerned authorities to ensure that the vice comes to an end and to let the mosquito nets be used for their intended tasks.
Speaking at the commemoration of the World Malaria day in Luyaba area in Kalomo district yesterday, Mr Munsanje expressed concern that some people were reportedly using the ITNs to make chicken run fencings, making wedding dress laces and some using them for fishing purposes.
He said this action by some communities was saddening especially that malaria poses a significant burden on the health system and economy in general.
Malaria accounts for 40 per cent of all outpatient attendance during the peak transmission period and 15 to 20 deaths in under five children while it is rated third leading cause of morbidity and mortality across all age groups after HIV and AIDS and Tuberculosis in Zambia.
In Kalomo district, malaria has been the leading cause of morbidity and mortality after Pneumonia and hence the combined interventions with communities and collaborating partners to eradicate the disease.
The district has five top facilities with high malarial incidences with Simwatachela area topping the list with 1,500 cases, Luyaba 1,479, Kanchele with 1,099, Mapatizya with 567 and Kalemu having 312 incidences.
The district has so far received 159,800 ITNs and is waiting for guidelines from the national malaria control centre on how to evenly distribute them to the four chiefdoms of the district in an effort to combat malaria.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO) 2010 report, 216 million malarial cases were reported and an estimated 655,000 deaths occurred.
This year the malaria day commemoration theme was ‘Sustain gains, save lives, invest in Malaria,’
ZANIS
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Fighting malaria wth mosquito nets is like fighting a non curable disease! Health researchers must relook at ths issue and come up wth a much more desirable and sustainable method of fighting malaria.
Now that is HH under 5 mentality
This sounds weird, fences for chicken runs and wedding dresses?? Iyo wedding ninshi kaaya che??? But good to know how enterprising this idea is.
If those were bembas i would have said that is creative but for aiisha is primitiveness.
Albeit at the expense of health it is providing an indication of what the locals are lacking. Fencing, fish nets and wedding accessories :)
Aisha tongas ni ngwere
Basankwa!!
HH PLEASE CAN YOU GO TO THE PEOPLE YOU CLAIM TO BE YOURS AND PUT THEM IN POSITION. THEY SHOULD NOT BE THAT PRIMITIVE!
That is very enterprising. Better than in luapula and northern provinces where natives used them as fishing nets leading to the depletion of fish in the water bodies. A recent fao report concludes that in these provinces fishermen are more likely to catch HIV than fish.
Rod which FAO report are you bubbling about?Would be interesting to know.
I agree with #5! Supply and demand issues. Demand wins!
If the people have extra mozi nets why not put them to other uses? I don’t see any problems there.
Too many NGOs, 5 NGOs in 1 district and each has a goal to distribute free mosquito nets so they can get more funding to their donors.
Sure #12 Numbian, I don’t know why I have to always agree with you. if they have extras let them use for different reasons. But most Mosquito nets I saw people selling for K2,000 or 50$cents had holes in them, if net is tone then its not useful for Malaria prevention.
…wedding dresses? As in…a woman getting married and wearing a dress out of a mosquito net?
Wow. Poverty is a m.o.t.h.e.r.f.u.c.k.e.r. indeed it is!!!
only in africa…. they do things whithout thinking… last time i checked they were using empty fertilizers sacks as seives for munkoyo, scores of people died. Welcome to Zambia the Real Africa!
zambia is full of people who are too selfish,the nets are perfect instrument to fight malaria
At least the flies will keep away from the bride.
DONT INSULT THE TONGAS SHOW US THE WEDDING DRESSES AND THE CHICKEN FANCES. SHOW US THE PICTURE TO PROVE YOUR ALLEGATION.
THIS IS A SILLY AND USELESS ARTICLE TRYING TO DENT THE TONGAZ.
This is africa’s problem how can you do this?
Entrepreneurship at its worst! If u’ve plenty why not share with others who may not have? a mosquito net for a wedding dress? imwe bantu, please!
if it was a bemba then his a genius but alas its a tonga,
This District Commissioner is a big liar. There is no sensible person who can make a chicken run from a mosquito net. This is a lame excuse from a man who has failed to spearhead the fight against malaria in his district.