Bringing Business into the Battle Against Malaria

Submitted by the Academy for Educational Development (AED)

Even George Baguma, marketing director for a Ugandan company that distributes pharmaceuticals, did not sleep under a net. "I had heard about the effectiveness of nets in preventing malaria, but I never thought they worked. Here, even medical workers didn't use nets."

Without a net, George was vulnerable to malaria, the mosquito-borne disease that kills more than 2 million Africans a year and costs Africa $12 billion a year. The Academy for Educational Development's (AED) NetMark project, funded by USAID and private-sector partners, is preventing malaria and saving lives by changing the habits and improving the health of millions of Africans, including George. USAID with NetMark is making people aware that insecticide-treated nets really can protect them from malaria and is developing sustainable distribution channels so nets are more readily available.

"NetMark's 'full-market impact' has led to increased availability, affordability, and appropriate use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) across Africa," said David McGuire, the director of the NetMark project. "In addition, demand for high-quality ITNs is on the rise." Now, 15 million more people are being protected from malaria by sleeping under ITNs, and childrens' lives are being saved.

Making More Nets Available

The strategy is to generate demand for ITNs and, at the same time, develop a commercial infrastructure that can meet the public's demand by making more nets available.

A widespread public education campaign has now reached more than 100 million people. In addition to benefiting from the education campaign Baguma's distribution company, Quality Chemicals Ltd., received matching funds to procure and promote nets and assistance in community outreach activities.

According to George Baguma, the campaign has been successful. "NetMark has put ITNs in people's minds." Since USAID and NetMark began work in 2000, Baguma's company has seen its retail outlets increase from about 150 to 350-400. Baguma says, "NetMark is growing the market. That's why it's going to work."

Bringing Treated Nets to Africa's Most Vulnerable

One of the partnership's highest priorities is making ITNs available to the poorest and most vulnerable people, especially those living in remote and rural areas. It does this by working in concert with other approaches to distribute free and highly subsidized ITNs. The subsidy program run in many countries targets those people for whom malaria is most often fatal: pregnant women and children under five. These targeted subsidy programs distribute NetMark vouchers--funded by USAID and NetMark partners ExxonMobil and UNICEF--through community-based health clinics to pregnant women and families with young children. The vouchers, which are redeemable at retail outlets and provide free or low-cost treated bednets, put life-saving ITNs within reach of those who need them most and are at highest risk.

AED social marketing, technical assistance, and training are having an impact. Sales of ITNs through April 2004 are nearly five times what they were through April 2003. With ITNs' effectiveness recognized more widely, and their availability increasing, NetMark countries can realistically consider the possibility of a future in which the economic and health burdens of malaria are greatly reduced.

"The quality of life will improve. Productivity will improve. School absenteeism will drastically drop and student performance will improve," Baguma says. "We are changing behaviors. It's a new culture."