Getting insecticide-treated nets to the people who need them
Two strategies were tested for delivery of insecticide-treated nets. |
In late 2005, MACEPA provided 526,500 insecticide-treated mosquito nets to Zambia's Ministry of Health to be shipped to Lusaka for distribution in Western Province and North-Western Province—rural, poorly accessible areas with high malaria prevalence rates. These nets kick-started the mass distribution of nets for rapid scale-up of malaria control in Zambia. One year later, 200,000 additional nets were delivered directly from the port to districts in Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces. These shipments supported the expansion of the provision of nets through antenatal clinics, one of the primary delivery strategies for sustaining net coverage targeting pregnant women and children. Two months elapsed between arrival of the first shipment of nets to Zambia and their availability in districts. The second shipment was available in districts within one week.
The MACEPA team, working side by side with the Ministry of Health at the National Malaria Control Centre in planning and preparation, realized the benefits of direct delivery to districts in the second year, streamlining the process and strengthening district-level capacity for managing future shipments. Decentralized mass distribution of nets offered economies of scale, which were realized with meticulous planning, data-tracking tools, and remarkable commitment and resourcefulness at the district level. This process has become a model for other large-scale net consignments. In fact, for planned 2007 net deliveries, these benefits will translate into several hundred thousand dollars in savings for Roll Back Malaria partners and more money being spent on nets instead of storage and distribution. The approach saves money and time so that nets efficiently make it to the children, women, and families who need them most.
I Will: commitments to stopping malaria