Osun Flags Off 2026 ITN Campaign, Targets Distribution Of Over 2.8M Mosquito Nets To Households

The Osun State Government, on Wednesday, officially flagged off the 2026 Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITN) Mass Distribution Campaign, with plans to distribute over 2.8 million mosquito nets to households across the state as part of efforts to reduce malaria prevalence.

The state governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, said the initiative marked the commencement of house-to-house distribution of insecticide-treated nets across all communities in Osun State.

The flag-off ceremony, held at the Local Government Service Commission hall, Abere, was organised by the Osun State Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and the Society for Family Health (SFH).

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Barrister Jola Akintola, described the campaign as a critical public health intervention aimed at protecting residents from malaria and sustaining the significant gains already recorded in the fight against the disease.

According to him, a total of 2,897,443 insecticide-treated nets will be distributed across the state, demonstrating the government’s commitment to safeguarding the health of its citizens.

He noted that malaria prevalence in Osun State has declined from 33.4 per cent in 2015 to 12.9 percent in 2025 through sustained investments, improved diagnosis and treatment, community mobilisation, and increased use of insecticide-treated nets.

The Governor further disclosed that “Osun State has been selected to pilot two innovative public health interventions that could shape future health programmes across Nigeria.”

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He added, “The first innovation is the integration of Tuberculosis (TB) case finding into the ITN campaign, allowing community teams to identify and refer individuals with symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis for further evaluation and treatment.

“The second innovation is the pilot implementation of school-based insecticide-treated net distribution in Osogbo Local Government Area to strengthen access to nets and promote malaria prevention awareness among school children and their families.”

Governor Adeleke appreciated the support of development partners, including the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, Global Fund, National Malaria Elimination Programme, Catholic Relief Services, Society for Family Health, and the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, for their continued contributions to malaria control efforts.