LCs STRUGGLE WITH INADQUATE MOSQUITO NETS DURING NATIONWIDE DISTRIBUTION IN ARUA CITY

Long lasting insecticidal net supplied by government.

By Erema George

Arua City

The distribution of treated mosquito nets in Alivu-Pajulu ward In Ayivu division, Arua city has registered a mixed reaction as the number of the nets did not match the population expected to receive the nets.

According to the data collected prior to the distribution day by the VHTs, the ward was expected to receive about 116 bales of nets each containing fifty pieces of nets but the available number of bales received were only 112.

While the standard distribution ratio of the nets is one net for every two people in a household, some local council chairpersons noted that they had to reduce the number of the nets allocated to the households to ensure at least every registered household receives a share.

The LC I chairperson of Ayiko cell Toko William Wilfred, blames the government for what he describes poor planning ahead of the program.

“They brought nets before taking the data of the people eventually we found that the population is high and the number of the nets are low but still since it is government program, we have to embrace it and make sure that government program goes on well and everybody gets nets. Next time, when they want to bring nets, they should actually plan well because we had to reduce the number of nets allocated to the house holds to ensure that at least every household receives nets. This even left us in troubles with the people, they were blaming us yet it was not our making,” he lamented.

Meanwhile Isudi Ben Leslie, the LCI chairperson of Orivu cell said, “These nets have come timely, we are really happy for the government and the support much as we received challenges of nets not being enough, and people who were not registered not catered for but this doesn’t stop us from carrying on our activities. We only continued with those who were registered.”

Isaac Adrabo, a resident of Alivu cell, expressed disappointment after receiving two nets out of four nets registered during the data collection. “I’m not happy because in those assessment of the homes, it was written on my board that I would receive four nets but reaching here I only received two. Its real disappointment because other people have also received one.”

Across many cells within Arua City nets were not supplied to the expectation of the residents making it hard for the local council leaders to smoothly implementation of the distribution process.

The relevant authorities did not specify why the ministry of health did not provide enough nets. However they said the ministry relied on the data got from the 2024 census.

The “under the net” universal coverage campaign initiative targets the distribution of 25.8 million long lasting insecticidal nets to 130 districts.