Nothing But Nets

Better than the Ford Assembly Line

Lagos, Nigeria January 26, 2007

Not since the Ford Assembly Line has there been mechanization such as this. Like putting an automobile together by hand with every necessary part, the ‘Integrated Plus Days’ through the Measles Initiative are fighting malaria and other diseases such as measles and polio, providing healthy children for our future.

Let’s just start with communication. How do you tell mothers that live 10 miles away from a health clinic to bring their children in for vaccinations and to receive insecticide treated bed nets?  Tuesday, I spoke about the press conference hosted by the State Ministry of Health, attended by the Nothing But Nets team and NBA Legend Sam Perkins.  There I was happy to see print, television and radio news outlets that were going to spread the word about the opportunity receive vaccinations and nets for children under five. 

BUT, what if you don’t have electricity for radio and the paper does not come to you? Today’s PR experts in Africa are social mobilization volunteers who hitch hike miles to let the families know about the opportunity.  Sometimes they even go by boat and just take the nurses, vaccines and nets with them because the people are locked in by a river. 

Now the mothers know. What next? Next step in the line; Mothers with children under five or pregnant women come to the health post with their World Health Organization vaccination cards.  New babies get WHO cards for the first time.  Then comes the assembly line, the baby is first given an Oral Polio Vaccine; as the conveyer belt moves down the line, the child is then given the measles vaccine. The baby then gets a stamp of approval on their tiny pinky with a marker.   

Not done yet. The mothers then retrieve their shiny vaccinated babies and sit down for a crash course in malaria. Ruth Riley and I sat through the course a few times today and then jumped in the assembly line like Lavern and Shirley to help. 

Where are we? Almost done; mom presents the completed immunization card and receives an insecticide treated net.  The Mother and child are then marked on their left thumbs and go on there way to a disease free life. Child assembled!  

All kidding aside, this integrated process is efficient and very cost effective. Individuals only have to mobilize once to receive these vital tools to fight disease.   Another important fact; in many countries in Africa, some vaccines, such as Polio have a negative stigma.  In the past it was very difficult to get mothers to bring their children in to get vaccinated. The Insecticide Treated Nets have become an incentive due to their demand from these mothers who know all too well the devastating affects of malaria. So when you send a net and save a life, you are not only preventing malaria, but also helping prevention for other diseases such as polio and measles.

Elizabeth McKee
Director, Nothing But Nets

Your name
Subject
Comment *
Enter this word:	Change