Logistical challenges delay distribution of mosquito nets in Twic

File photo: A mother camps outside with her children under a mosquito net at an emergency food distribution site being run by UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Thanyang, Unity State.( UNICEF/Kate Holt)

Health officials in Twic State, one of South Sudan’s newly created states, said logistical challenges have delayed their plan to distribute mosquito nets to citizens across the state.

Health officials in Twic State, one of South Sudan’s newly created states, said logistical challenges have delayed their plan to distribute mosquito nets to citizens across the state. 

The state health manager Aurelio Anyuon Majak said that there are no funds available to hire vehicles to deliver mosquito nets to distribution centres across the state.

"The only vehicle that belongs to the health department is having technical problems and the department has no money to hire cars to dispatch nets to Ajak Kuac, Pannyom and Akoc counties for distributions," Dr. Anyuon said in a meeting held at his office last week.

He appealed to the people of the state to be patient while his office seeks support from the national ministry of health and partner organizations.

The mosquito nets were donated to the state by the national ministry of health in collaboration with Population Services International (PSI) in 2016 and have never been distributed since then.