Governor Otti declares fresh war against Malaria as Abia Govt to distribute 3 Million Insecticide -treated Mosquito nets to citizens across State

The Abia State Government  will this September distribute three million, and thirty thousand Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) worth over one billion Naira to Abians and residents across the 17 LGAs of the state.

The project which is aimed at reducing malaria burden and associated deaths is being done in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme.

The Commissioner for Information Prince Okey Kanu disclosed this while briefing journalists on Monday, September 7, 2026 in Government House Umuahia, on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.

He said that, “Abia State Government through the Ministry of Health is collaborating with the National Malaria Elimination Programme on an ITN campaign project to distribute three million, and thirty thousand Insecticide Treated Nets worth over 1 billion Naira” Prince Kanu stated.

He said the campaign, scheduled for September, was particularly significant as Abia had not conducted a mass ITN distribution campaign since 2010.

Prince Kanu equally announced that the Community Supported Health Insurance Program of the Ministry of Health is gaining momentum with the upcoming formal launch of the scheme for Abiriba Community Scheduled for the 16th of September 2026.

According to him, 1,000 individuals of Abiriba community will be enrolled in the health insurance programme courtesy of the Abiriba Improvement Union. He therefore urged other community development unions across the state to emulate and replicate same gesture for members of their communities.

“As earlier reported, 1,000 individuals of Abiriba community will be enrolled into the health insurance program. Each enrollment for a person is #18,000 Naira, indicating a total investment outlay of #18,000,000 Naira in the first instance.

Prince Kanu also informed that the recruitment portal for the employment of additional medical personnel for the state’s medical facilities is still open for medical consultants medical officers and dental officers. He equally announced that there are no cases of diseases of public health importance in the state within the period under review.

In another development, Abia State Government (ABSG) has recorded significant improvements in its fiscal performance alongside visible improvements in the health sector, education , infrastructure and governance with the state emerging among the top-performing states in the 2026 BudgIT State of States Report, covering 2017-2025.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, while announcing the cheering news noted that the BudgIT 2026 Report ranked Abia second in aggregate revenue growth, third in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) growth, first in total expenditure growth, first in capital expenditure growth and first in personnel expenditure growth, while maintaining comparatively contained overhead expenditure.

Prince Kanu said the performance reflected the administration’s prudent and strategic management of public resources.

“Abia State’s combination of revenue mobilisation, capital investment expansion and administrative cost restraint points to a story of adroit and prudent management of resources,” Prince Kanu stated.

The Commissioner noted that the BudgIT assessment was consistent with the findings of the Philips Consulting State Performance Index, which also identified Abia as one of the fastest-improving states in the country in its recent report.

Prince Kanu, however, stressed that the state government was more concerned with delivering tangible improvements in the lives of citizens than competing or comparing itself with other states.

Contributing, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche described the mass Insecticide Treated Nets distribution campaign significant, saying it is coming after over 15 years of such event and attributed it to the commitment of Governor Otti in health care sector.

He added that the success of the campaign would depend not only on the distribution of the nets but also on their proper and consistent use by residents.

Professor Uche revealed that Abia had recorded encouraging progress in malaria control, with prevalence declining from 16 percent in 2024 to 11 percent in 2025.

Prof. Uche said the figure was significantly lower than the national average of about 15.2 per cent, but stressed that the state was targeting a further reduction of about five percentage points to bring malaria prevalence into single digits.

“We are encouraged by the reduction from 16 per cent to 11 per cent, but we are not satisfied yet. Our target is to bring malaria prevalence in Abia down to single digits, and this campaign is one of the interventions that will help us achieve that objective,” he stated.

He explained that the government was adopting a multifaceted approach to malaria control, including larval source management and the identification of malaria hotspots across the state.

The Health Commissioner urged residents to complement government efforts by maintaining clean environments, eliminating stagnant water and removing other potential mosquito breeding sites.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma was present at the press briefing.