The Republic of the Congo and UNICEF have dispatched a train that over two days will travel from Pointe-Noire, Congo, to the capital city of Brazzaville to distribute 300,000 insecticide-treated nets in regions where medical services are limited, BBC News reports.
The no-cost ITNs, which were donated by the Japanese government, will be distributed to health centers and hospitals in small towns between the two cities. An additional 200,000 ITNs will be distributed in the coming weeks, BBC News reports.The shipments are expected to reach 10% of the population and cover all pregnant women and children younger than age five, according to BBC News. UNICEF said the effort is part of the largest distribution of ITNs to date to help combat malaria.
The government has said children in the country have a basic right to no-cost ITNs. Malaria causes nearly one-quarter of child deaths in the country, according to BBC News.
Source-Kaiser Family Foundation
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