Nothing But Nets

In the poorest parts of the world, where effective window screens are lacking, insecticide-treated bed nets are arguably the most cost-effective way to prevent malaria transmission. One bed net costs just $10 to buy and deliver to individuals in need. One bed net can safely last a family for about four years, thanks to a long-lasting insecticide woven into the net fabric.

Studies show that use of insecticide-treated bed nets can reduce transmission as much as 90% in areas with high coverage rates. Bed nets prevent malaria transmission by creating a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night, when the vast majority of transmissions occur. The African malaria mosquitoes generally bite late at night or early morning, between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. A bed net is usually hung above the center of a bed or sleeping space so that it completely covers the sleeping person. A net treated with insecticide offers about twice the protection of an untreated net and can reduce the number of mosquitoes that enter the house and the overall number of mosquitoes in the area.

Currently, nets are treated with pyrethroid insecticides. These insecticides have very low levels of toxicity to humans, but are highly toxic to insects. By repelling the mosquitoes, a bed net can protect other people in the room outside the net. When enough nets are used in an area, the insecticide used in the net fabric makes entire communities safer even for those individuals who don’t have nets.

How Bed Nets get to Africa

With the money raised for Nothing But Nets, the UN Foundation and the campaign’s partners work with the Measles Initiative – one of the most successful vaccination efforts ever undertaken – to purchase bed nets and distribute them in countries and communities in greatest need.

The Measles Initiative is a partnership of the American Red Cross, the U.S. Center for Disease Control, the UN Foundation, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF. Since this integrated campaign began in 2001, nearly 400 million children across Africa have been vaccinated against measles and the number of measles cases reduced by 68%.

Child Health Interventions and Bed Net Distributions

Building on this success, the Measles Initiative has expanded to provide a package of critical child heath interventions, such as Vitamin A, de-worming medicines, the oral polio vaccine and insecticide-treated bed nets.

In 2006 alone, almost 21 million bed nets were distributed in 10 African countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria.

How Bed Nets are Distributed through the Measles Initiative

Coordination with African Governments
Each year the Measles Initiative coordinates with African governments to determine which countries will undertake measles campaigns. This is based on the prevalence and spread of the disease, the number of years since the last campaign, and the interest and preparedness of each country. Such coordination is necessary to conduct effective and efficient campaigns as well as ensure sustainability. In 2007, 12 countries were chosen to conduct measles campaigns.

Government and NGO Coordination of Bed Nets
During the planning process for a measles campaign (which can take 6 to 9 months), a country can choose to integrate other health interventions such as insecticide-treated bed nets. When a country decides to distribute bed nets during its measles campaign, the Measles Initiative and the country government coordinate the planning for each such that they are fully integrated. Together, WHO, UNICEF and the local ministry of health determine where to purchase the bed nets and who will be responsible for bed net storage, distribution, social mobilization, and follow-up surveying.

Distribution of Bed Nets and Education on their Use
Throughout the integrated child health campaign, children travel to vaccination posts where they receive the measles vaccine and other medicines, as well the insecticide-treated bed net. Health workers and volunteers provide the immunizations and educate children and their families on the use of the bed nets, while observers from various agencies and organizations monitor the activities of the campaign and provide support to the health workers and volunteers as needed.

Evaluation
The evaluation of the bed net distribution generally takes place just prior to the rainy season, providing an opportunity to re-educate families on the use of the bed nets as they enter the time of year during which mosquitoes tend to be more prevalent.

Sending Nets. Saving Lives

This entire process of purchasing and distributing insecticide-treated bed nets to children under the age of five, as well as providing education and follow-up surveying on their use, is accomplished at the cost of just $10 per bed net.
Although $10 for a bed net may not sound like much, the cost makes them out of reach for most people at risk of malaria in Africa, where many people survive on less than $1 a day. Malaria has been brought under control and even eliminated in many parts of Asia, Europe and the Americas. Yet in Africa, malaria infections have actually increased over the last three decades. Malaria is a leading cause of death of children in Africa, killing nearly one million children each year. Every day 3,000 children die from the disease.
Join us and Send a Net, Save a Life.

*FACT CHECKED BY THE US CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
AND PREVENTION (CDC)