From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
A Christian Aid Malaria programme, in collaboration with John Christopher Flower Foundation, has donated 100,000 insecticide-treated nets to the Anglican Diocese of Kaduna, for onward transfer to residents in Kajuru local government in Kaduna state.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony in Kaduna yesterday, the Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Kaduna, Bishop Josiah Idowu Fearon said the gesture by the Christian Aid group and JC Foundation is a welcome development, and especially as the target was the grassroots, where people are desperately in need of such material.
According to Bishop Fearon, who said he has been hearing of distribution of insecticide nets to people but has not seen one, it shows that the nets do not get to the targeted audience.
“I want to say with all honesty that I’ve not seen one single net, because these nets are being given to the rich people instead of the poor who are in dire need of them. It is time that we focus attention of our health programs on the grassroots because majority of people suffering from infections like malaria reside in the rural areas.
“This donation comes because we run a Non-Governmental Organization, Nazarene Foundation, which provides health services to everybody irrespective of their religious background. “We have a small clinic in Kakau along Abuja/Kaduna road and we care for about 2000 members of the community for their primary healthcare. It is also very worthy to note that everybody is carried along irrespective of religious or ethnic background. We have Muslim doctors who worked with us as volunteers. And we also have Muslims who have donated generously to this project”, Bishop Fearon said. Flagging-off the ceremony, Kaduna state commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Dogo Thot said Kaduna state government welcome every partner that want to work in associate with government for the betterment of the people.
