Freetown — The Ministry of Health and Sanitation in collaboration with health sector partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children Emergency Fund(unicef), Sierra Leone and Canadian Red Cross Societies Monday disclosed the free provision of 875,000 PermaNet malaria mosquito nets for the benefit of the children of Sierra Leone.

The donation will include a week-long Integrated Child Survival Campaign.

The campaign will target about 900,000 children with measles vaccination, free bed net distribution, vitamin A supplementation and deworming with mebendazole.

The overall goal of the campaign is to reduce morbidity and mortality in children less than five years of age by achieving at least 95% coverage for Measles vaccination and Vitamin A administration.

The target for Mebendazole treatment is to achieve 90% coverage. In addition, it also focuses on increasing ITNs distribution coverage in children 0-59 months to at least 80% during the campaign. The campaign will increase community awareness in the utilizations of ITNs and Measles vaccination and strengthen the Integrated Disease Surveillance in the country.

Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation, Ibrahim Sesay says the integrated approach on Measles and Malaria is crucial to the MCH/EPI Division and National Malaria Control Programme, as both programmes share a common commitment in the reduction of child and material mortality and morbidity.

The overall common strategy is to harness our resources to scale up interventions on maternal and child health throughout the country and to increase immunization coverage which has stagnated in the last two years", Sesay states and appealed to the community representatives to ensure the proper use of the nets.

"Malaria is one of the most serious public health problems in Sierra Leone and the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, with the most vulnerable being pregnant women and children. Malaria alone accounts for 48% of outpatient morbidity, 36.9% of which are children under five years. It also accounts for 50-60% of all under-five admissions, of which 15-20% die. During the campaign, Long Lasting Nets will be distributed to children 0-59 months brought forward to the campaign posts and 2 nets will be given per female headed household," Sesay said and disclosed that the Canadian Red Cross provided 875,000 Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Bed Nets for the benefit of the children of Sierra Leone.

The campaign will utilize more than 5,000 vaccinators and volunteers provided by MOHS, Sierra Leone Red Cross and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Campaign will embark on a multiple strategy which will include static, outreach and mobile teams deployed in about 2,000 health delivery points, referral hospitals and peripheral health centers across the country. The involvement of the District Councils will ensure that no child is left out. UNICEF has provided more than 800,000 doses of Measles vaccines, 800,000 Vitamin A capsules (red and blue) and 705,000 of Mebendazole tablets for de-worming. WHO has provided technical support and funding for training, planning and coordination and the implementation of the campaign.

UNICEF Senior Programme Coordinator Adele Ahkudr revealed that the campaign provides a package of cost-effective interventions to improve child survival, growth and development, with the sole aim of reducing Sierra Leone's unenviable position as the country with the highest maternal and child mortality rates.

PermaNet Retailer Manager Mordecai Quarshie on behalf of the CEO said, "Striving to achieve the "Millennium Development Goals" of cutting poverty, disease and environmental degradation, most nations have acknowledged the influence health has on development.

Malaria has significant measurable direct and indirect costs, and has recently been shown to be a constraint to economic development. Annual economic growth in countries with high malaria transmission has historically been lower than in countries without malaria. Economists believe that malaria is responsible for a "growth penalty" of up to 1.3% per year in some countries. When compounded over the years, this penalty leads to substantial differences in GDP between countries with and without malaria."