COTONOU, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The Beninese government, in collaboration with its technical and financial partners, is currently conducting a nationwide campaign to distribute free mosquito nets to households throughout the country in a bid to reduce malaria cases.
More than 3,500 people died of malaria in Benin in 2022, 80 percent of whom were children under the age of five, said Minister of Health Benjamin Hounkpatin Friday during the official launch ceremony of the national campaign for the free distribution of mosquito nets in Cotonou, the economic hub of Benin.
"Malaria is the leading cause of consultation and hospitalization in the country's hospitals, and the leading cause of death in children under the age of five," he said.
Faced with this situation, he said, the Beninese government and its technical and financial partners have made commitments to eliminating this disease, which continues to hamper the country's development.
He asserted that experience has shown that the widespread use of long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets not only protects the people sleeping under them but also breaks the chain of transmission and protects the entire community.
According to the national malaria control program, about 9 million long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets will be distributed to Beninese households during the campaign, which will run until July 4.
