$4 Bednets to Fight Malaria
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Malaria infection shouldn’t be a rite of childhood, but for many of Africa’s children it’s an all too common occurrence. Each year, malaria infection causes more than one million deaths in Africa, with three-quarters of these occurring in children under age five. That’s an unnecessarily high toll for a disease that is both preventable and treatable.
The good news is that one simple, low-tech approach can cut these deaths by at least 20 percent: use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets. These nets protect sleeping children during the night hours when malaria-carrying mosquitoes are active and biting.
Insecticide-treated nets can cost anywhere from 60 cents to $4.00 each. Government and non-governmental organization (NGO) subsidies and voucher schemes have enabled many Africans—who might not have been able to afford them otherwise—to own treated nets. Even at the higher end of the price range though, insecticide-treated nets are considered one of public health’s most cost-effective “best buys.” Of course, ensuring that nets are used is a separate, and equally daunting, challenge. Mistrust, cultural beliefs, and perceived inconvenience each contribute to low or intermittent use. In Tanzania, for example, a recent health survey found that only 16 percent of pregnant women and children under age five had slept under an insecticide-treated net the night before the survey. Further research conducted by members of the Tanzania NGO Alliance Against Malaria found that villagers in the country’s rural Tanga region equated mosquito nets with burial shrouds. “Who wants to sleep in a coffin?” one resident asked. Villagers who saw posters of babies sleeping contentedly on a bed protected by a mosquito net also wondered if nets were meant for wealthy people with beds, instead of “people like us who sleep on mats.” The most common complaint was that nets were “too stifling” to use in the hot, dry season. As front-line development workers, NGOs are working hard to promote use of insecticide-treated nets through activities such as supporting village health workers to visit local households, training traditional birth attendants to counsel pregnant women to use nets, promoting village drama and musical performances, and broadcasting educational radio spots. In Tanzania, for example, the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation and Population Services International recently teamed up to introduce a storybook in public schools that talks about the benefits of using insecticide-treated nets. Similar NGO-private sector initiatives have taken place in Ghana, like NetMark’s work with commercial partners to distribute nets. NGOs must continue to partner with governments, donors, the private sector, and multilateral organizations like the World Health Organization’s Roll Back Malaria campaign to ensure that insecticide-treated nets are made available to pregnant women and young children at an affordable cost, and are being used consistently. Taking a comprehensive approach will allow this public health “best buy” to realize its full potential. Julia Ross Communications Manager CORE Group
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