Peterkins Manyong
28 April 2008
April 25, World Malaria Day was a red letter day for mothers in Bafut, following the distribution of 10.000 mosquito treated nets.
The nets came from a philanthropic England-based international organisation called World Swim Against Malaria through the Cameroonian Association for Social Marketing, ACMS, in partnership with Plan Cameroon and Helen Keller International.
Addressing the population and medical personnel of Bafut, Vitalis Nji Tanteh, ACMS Regional Coordinator for Northwest and West Provinces who supervised the distribution exercise, reminded them that the fight against malaria was a collective one. According to him, the donation is in line with the Cameroon Government's efforts to wipe Malaria out of Cameroon. However, he said that having the nets is of little interest if they are not mounted and used properly, as malaria will continue to flourish.
Martin Neba Shu, President of the Bafut District Health Committee, promised ensuring the equitable and transparent distribution of the nets to the target population, which includes pregnant women and children below five years.
The bed net distribution in Bafut was preceded by a four-day workshop for journalists. The workshop focused on the Artemisinin Combined Therapy ACT, the most recent and effective treatment for malaria.
Coordinated by Wain Paul Ngam, head of the Cameroon Media Coalition Against Malaria, CAMAM, Dr. Ordille Tchekoutouo, Northwest Unit Coordinator for malaria, the workshop trained journalists on ways of reporting that could help in the fight against the disease.
The media practitioners were also drilled on the symptoms of malaria and the importance of diagnosis as prerequisite to all its treatment using the ACTs.
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