The National government through the support of Global Fund, USAID and the US Presidential Malaria Initiative has set aside 800,000 mosquito nets to be distributed to residents of Busia.Speaking during a stakeholder planning meeting for the distribution exercise on Tuesday, Busia County Malaria Control Coordinator Dr Oluoch Onyango said that the date and time for registration and distribution of the items will be communicated later.'We have started with the stakeholders meeting at the County level which will be cascaded to various sub county meetings before the Community Health Promoters embark on registration exercise,' he said.Dr Onyango pointed out that malaria has remained one of the diseases that cause deaths to the local residents with a prevalence rate of 39%.'For every 100 patients visiting any health facility in Busia, 39 suffer from malaria,' he explained.He urged the locals to collaborate with the Community Health Promoters and village elders in order to be registered as the intended benef iciaries at the household level.'They are required to have their mobile phone and National identity card numbers for the registration exercise,' he explained.The official further clarified that there is no connection between the mosquito nets and bed bugs as believed by some local residents.'The government's aim is to provide quality health to its citizens and it cannot distribute bed bug infested mosquito nets to harm them,' he said.Dr Onyango at the same time advised the local residents to dispose of the mosquito nets that they were given in 2021 immediately they are issued with new ones because the old ones are no longer effective.The forum brought together officers from the health sector, Ministry of interior, religious leaders, representatives from the boda boda sector and youth representatives with a view to plan for the forthcoming exercise.Source: Kenya News Agency