SOME residents of Chiwanza ward in Nakonde district in Northern Province are reportedly using insecticide treated nets [ITNs] to catch fish.
And most of the ITNs given to the people in Nakonde district have found themselves on the black market, both in Zambia and neighbouring Tanzania .
This came to light on Friday last week during the commemoration of World Malaria Day held at Kantongo Basic School under the theme ‘MALARIA – A DISEASE WITHOUT BORDERS’.
Chieftainess Na-Waitwika of the Namwanga people of Nakonde district said it was disheartening that some people in Chiwanza ward, especially in swampy areas, were using the ITNs to catch fish.
In a speech read on her behalf by her advisor, Workson Mpotwa Siame, Chieftainess Na-Waitwika said the reports of people in swampy areas using ITNs to catch fish, was retrogressive.
The traditional leader told hundreds of people who attended the commemoration that she has now taken upon herself to educate the affected people and ensure that they use ITNs for the intended purposes.
Chieftainess Na-Waitwika said she would soon embark on a programme to sensitise communities in Chiwanza ward on the usage of ITNs which the government, through the department of health, distributed early this year.
Chief Na-Waitwika also appealed to people present at the function to go flat out and educate their friends on the positive usage of ITNs.
She also commended the government for distributed ITNs to all the households in her chiefdom in the bid to control malaria.
And the government says it is disappointing that most of the ITNs distributed to various households in Nakonde district have found themselves being sold on the black market.
Officiating at this year’s World Malaria Day commemoration at Kantongo Basic school, District Commissioner, Edwin Sinyinza, said the government was disappointed that some
ITNs, which were distributed to various households, were being sold on the market.
“I am informed that some ITNs that were distributed have been sold to Tanzanians,” Said Sinyinza.
He said his government will not tolerate such attitude.
Mr Sinyinza asked community leaders to monitor all the negative practices against health service delivery.
He also disclosed that following the Abuja Declaration, the Government of the republic of Zambia had increased funding to the health sector and malaria has the highest allocation in most districts.
“The government has further committed to monthly funding to the Ministry of Health directly to districts. The Government has further developed various strategies to halve malaria burden by 2010,” Sinyinza added.
He cited some of the strategies developed as, indoor residual spraying by use of DDT, mass distribution of long lasting insecticide treated nets, free distribution of insecticide treated bed nets and community malaria booster response among other strategies.
Meanwhile, the District Commissioner has disclosed that the Government has released K24 million to two communities in the border town for the fight against malaria under Community Booster Response [COMBOR] programme.
Mr Sinyinza named the two communities as Kaombwe in Nakonde east and Ndigindi in West of Nakonde district.
He appealed to the community leaders and Government workers to monitor the utilization of the funds.
And District Director of Health, Dr. Ernest Mutale, told community representatives to bury small ditches and slash tall grass in the villages and surroundings.
ZANIS/ENDS/JM/EB
Yaba. Please ITNs are for Malaria control and not catching fish Nakonde residents. Akaka basa.
Govt should empower these people coz what is causing all that is POVERTY and IGNORANCE. PLSE send these people to night schools.Once they have some education poverty will reduce coz they will have knowledge MUMITWE SHABO
Ata nikukonda somba. You are failing to buy proper fishing nets and hence you have resorted to ITNs. Shame on you.
AFRICA lol ya… i love our continent.. its stuff like this that make me miss Home.. ok but seriously.. LEKENI UKUBOMFYA AMA NET UKWIKATA ISABI lol.. LMAO DAMMMMMM
Councils make a by-law to require every household to have a mosquitoe net for every member.Then inspect and prosecute defaulters.Malaria must be controlled.It is a killer more than AIDS.
let the fisheries dept educate the people the importance of using proper fishing nets for their business.if they continue using mosquito nets then there would be no more fish left to breed.get up and sensitise your people.
Common sense guys! Survival instinct. Life is hard pa ZED.
thats being creative,hey.seeing an opportunity and utilising things around you.these people are doing things which they think is right in there situation.i am sure they doing this coz they are not well informed and the disadvantages of using a ITN for such activities.they need to be taught well the purpose of the net in the house than just dishing them with nest.before these people finish the fish in rivers can the relevant people handle this situation coz the people will continue to die coz of malaria too.
Hey pipo, that mosquito net is infact not so different from the fish one, so it’s just a matter of the user’s priority. If he would rather suffer from malaria than go hungry, what’s that to you?