In Cameroon, only 59% of the population uses long-lasting insecticidal nets. Almost three out of four households (73%) own at least one, according to the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey DHS.

In line with World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations, the Cameroonian government is committed to scaling up interventions with proven efficacy to have a significant and sustainable impact on malaria morbidity and mortality.

Among these interventions, the Milda is one of the major strategies for strengthening malaria prevention in the country, ranked 11th among the nations most affected by this disease. However, it is shunned by the population for various reasons (feeling like sleeping in a shroud, difficulty in breathing under the net, etc.).

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Health , Prof. Louis Richard Njock, while launching the fourth national distribution campaign of Milda on Tuesday, June 7 in the Far North, recommended the effective use of this tool recognized as an effective weapon in the fight and prevention of malaria.

This is despite the fact that barriers and prejudices surrounding the Milda can influence its final adoption by households. The population is indeed called upon to sleep in it daily to avoid the bite of Anopheles which rages at dusk or during the night.

“Today, it is estimated that 58% of people use the nets. This is already progress. We must continue to educate the population for their effective use to reduce this disease,” said the WHO resident representative in Cameroon, Phanuel Habimana, on public radio.

This 4th campaign aims at offering free of charge more than 16.7 million Milda to households. This should bring to just over 47.8 million, the number of nets distributed to populations since the first campaign in 2011.