The Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH) recently began the distribution of over 211,000 treated mosquito nets to eight health districts in Bong County.

The District Health Officer for Suacoco, Bong County, Joseph Garteh said that local based non-governmental organizations are being used to carry out the distribution. He added that the locally based NGO's would personally, with the permission of the house owner, hang up the nets in homes. He continued that this is intended to avoid people from using the mosquito nets wrongly.

Mr. Garteh said that many times nets are used by Liberians for fishing, bathing and other things and not for its intended purpose.

The District Health Official stated further that being that malaria which is caused by the bites of certain mosquitoes is the number one killer of children under five. It is imperative that the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Health go beyond just handing out the nets.

Plan Liberia, an International NGO partnered with MOH in the distribution of the nets. Plan Liberia sent monitors on the field during the distribution exercise that kicked off over the weekend in Suacoco.

Massa Rennie from Suacoco said that she is a mother of five and that the nets would help keep her children free of sickness.

James Sackie told this paper that one of his children had died from malaria related sickness some years ago and with what he has learned since that time and the free mosquito nets he is confident non of his kids or his neighbor's kids will fall victim to malaria again.

The 211,000 mosquito nets were purchased by MOH from funding through Global Fund in combating HIV, TB and malaria throughout the country. The Consortium of National Health NGO's of Liberia (CONHNOL) distributed the nets and hung them in homes.