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Apr 18, 2012 | Episcopal Relief & Development

8.5 Million Malaria Nets Distributed in Africa by NetsforLife®

Since its inception in 2006, the NetsforLife® program partnership has distributed a total of 8.5 million mosquito nets as part of its campaign to fight malaria, according to the program’s 2011 annual results, which were released today. Combined with the community education and net monitoring work of nearly 74,000 trained Malaria Control Agents, these nets have reduced the overall malaria-related death rate by 45 percent in communities where NetsforLife® is active. Through its efforts over the past year, the Diocese of Texas has donated more than $150,000 to the campaign, enough to purchase more than 12,500 nets and provide the education to use them properly.
 

According to Shaun Walsh, Executive Director for NetsforLife®, the program has led to significant improvement in malaria knowledge and prevention practices. “Our results show that over 85 percent of households in areas where we are active now have at least two mosquito nets, compared to 6.3 percent in our baseline studies. In 2006, only four out of ten people knew what causes malaria, but now nine out of ten know that malaria is caused by a bite from an infected mosquito. In our monitoring and evaluation work, we are seeing that community education is leading to positive behavior change around the use of life-saving malaria nets. Together, nets and education have contributed to an overall reduction of malaria-related deaths by one third in the last decade. However, with more than 650,000 people a year still dying from malaria, the fight will continue in earnest.”
 

NetsforLife® combats malaria by training community agents to deliver life-saving nets, educate community members about proper net use and maintenance, and provide ongoing monitoring and evaluation of net use. Launched in 2006, after a successful pilot program in Zambia, the program is now active in 17 countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Five of these countries – Angola, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Zambia – have adopted aspects of NetsforLife®’s methodology as part of their national malaria policy, and many more have solicited the program’s input in country-wide strategic planning.
 

Using its unique networks to access remote communities that are typically unreached by national health programs, NetsforLife® has developed and modeled successful technical distribution strategies. In addition, the program’s proven monitoring and evaluation methods are being widely implemented in order to ensure better overall results. Building on its successes, the program will continue to distribute nets and work in malaria-endemic African countries while collaborating with international agencies, national programs and local malaria stakeholders.

For more information, or to support the NetsforLife® program through donations, please visit online at www.inspirationfund.org. Donations can also be made over the phone by calling 1.855.312.HEAL (4325). Gifts can be mailed to Episcopal Relief & Development, PO Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058. Please put “NetsforLife/Malaria” in the memo line of all checks.

Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church and an independent 501(c)(3) organization. The agency takes its mandate from Jesus’ words found in Matthew 25. Its programs work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Episcopal Relief & Development works closely with the worldwide Church and ecumenical partners to help rebuild after disasters and to empower local communities to find lasting solutions that fight poverty, hunger and disease, including HIV/AIDS and malaria.