Pallisa — THE Assistant Commissioner in charge of Child Health, Dr Jeremiah Twantwa, has warned residents of Pallisa district against turning mosquito nets into wedding gowns.

Launching a malaria eradication drive at Sekulo vilage in Kamonkoli sub-county recently, Twantwa said many Ugandans were still ignorant about the importance of sleeping under mosquito nets.

He called for more interventions to sensitise people about fighting malaria using mosquito nets. "I warn you never to turn nets into wedding gowns as we hear in other areas. They (nets) have been given out to serve the purpose of preventing malaria in your homesteads," he said.

The most impressive display of the gowns made from the mosquito nets was first witnessed in the border town of Malaba in Novermber 2002 as poverty-stricken villagers were preparing for mass weddings ahead of Christmas.

The worshippers were being encouraged by their parish priests to graduate from their customary marriages to Christian weddings so that they spend the Christmas holidays as special people in the eyes of God.