Donation of Mosquito Nets Help Achieve Medical Milestone in Nigeria
Clarke, along with The Carter Center and several other organizations, recently hailed the end of a debilitating mosquito-borne disease in two states in Nigeria, thanks to a partnership among the Nigeria Federal Ministry of Health, The Carter Center, Clarke and other NGOs and corporations. Plateau and Nasarawa are the first Nigerian states to stop the transmission of lmphatic filariasis (LF), also commonly known as elephantiasis.
This is a noteworthy medical achievement since Nigeria is one of the most endemic countries in the world for LF with 22 million poeple infected and and additional 100 million at risk. Mosquitoes transmit LF, which can cause excessive swelling of a person’s limbs and genitals. the disease can result in tremendous suffering and social stigma, drastically impacting an individual’s quality of life and ability to work and care forhis or her family.
The Nigeria Federal Ministry of Health and The Carter Center led an integrated team strategy to fight this disease through public education, preventive measures and drug treatment. In Nasarawa and Plateau states, the national program, in collaboration with its partner organizations, distributed long-lasting insecticidal bed nets, donated by Clarke through its Clarke Cares Foundation, as part of its “Net fo Net Project”.
“Clarke’s Net for Net Project in Nigeria continues to serve as a shining example of the good that can be accomplished when a company truly cares,” said former U.S. President and Carter Center Founder Jimmy Carter. “Rosalynn and I are grateful for the partnership of Clarke and the rest of the team and look forward to working with you toward the goal of 100 percent coverage of households in Nigeria.”
