By Victor Nwachukwu
Owerri – The 211 Quick Response Group of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) in Imo has distributed over 300 insecticide treated mosquito nets to its host communities in Owerri.The nets were distributed during an awareness programme on prevention and control of yellow fever it organized by the NAF at the NAF hospital in Owerri on Thursday.
Distributing the nets, the Group Commander, Group Captain Philip Bindul urged the participants to embrace prevention of yellow fever rather than its treatment.Bindul thanked the host communities and the state government for creating the enabling environment for operational activities of the group.
He reassured the communities of the commitment of the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar to improved military/civilian relations and improved health for Nigerians in general. “The lecture series is part of NAF’s quick response to rising cases of yellow fever in northern states such as Bauchi.
We do not want to record such a case in Imo because we believe that prevention is better than cure. ” We thank you for being friendly and assure you of our commitment to improved relations with you our civilian neighbours,’’ he said.Also speaking, the commanding officer in charge of medicals, Squadron Leader V. I. Ashima advised participants to apply yellow fever control measures such as use of repellents, vaccination and elimination of stagnant waters around residential areas.
He added that the use of insecticide treated nets was a sure way of avoiding bites from the aedis aegypti, the specie of mosquitoes responsible for the transmission of yellow fever.On her part, the matron, Air Force hospital Owerri,
Mrs Vivian Nwosu told participants to confirm ailments through medical tests before accepting treatment.She advised parents with children nine years of age and below to take advantage of the free immunisation organized by the NAF so as to reduce the occurrence of the epidemic to a barest minimum.One of the participants,
Mrs Joy Megwa commended the NAF for thinking towards their civilian neighbours and promised to put the lessons garnered from the lectures to profitable use.Another participant, Mr Abdullahi Abdulsami, a resident of Agballa community also promised to use the nets and tell others about the free yellow fever vaccination.
