By Alka Subramanian | Executive Director
In 2017, generous donors such as yourself helped raise over $15,000 for Power of Love's malaria prevention and education program. These funds were spent on the provision of 4000 long lasting insecticide treated nets and education on malaria. But are these nets really effective in preventing malaria? To find out we conducted follow-up meetings with beneficiaries and the results are given below.
Effectiveness of Mosquito Nets
To assess the effectiveness of insecticide treated nets, we met with 200 beneficiaries. The information was collected just before the malaria season to improve accuracy of malaria infections. Here are some heartwarming numbers from the field:
1. More than 90% of recipients knew how to hang and use the nets properly.
2. Only 2% of families had the nets torn or damaged three months after use.
3. None of the families contracted malaria.
4. 98% of families sampled had improved knowledge regarding malaria prevention, and re-treatment of nets.
5. On average three children were sleeping under a net. This implies that a single net which costs less than $5, can keep three children malaria free, healthy and in school. Since a net can last up to two years, it costs just a few pennies to keep children malaria free, giving the child's immune system a chance to strengthen.
6. All families wanted us to continue to provide them with nets before the malaria season every year.
These findings confirm WHO's results that sleeping under an excellent quality mosquito bed net is one of the cheapest and most effective methods of malaria prevention. This is especially true for populations more vulnerable to malaria such as children and adults living with HIV, older people, HIV+ pregnant women, young children, and people infected with TB. We are seeing a lower incidence of malaria and better information about malaria prevention in our community.
Next Steps
For 2018, our goal is to provide 5000-6000 long lasting insecticide treated nets and education on malaria prevention as impoverished communities in Zambia need thousands more nets to stay healthy and malaria free.
Let’s not stop now
Globally, we are winning the fight against malaria. Between 2010 and 2015, malaria incidence fell by 21% and malaria mortality rates fell by 29% among all age groups, and by 35% among children under 5. A decrease in nets coverage now can lead to a major resurgence of the disease and can reverse the gains achieved over the last several years. Eradication of malaria will save thousands of lives leading to an increase in GDP which in turn will enable the African economies to take better care of their people. This will have huge health and economic benefits globally. We are winning the fight against malaria, so let's not stop now.
Thank you for keeping children malaria free, healthy and in school.
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