Fighting Malaria in Africa: U.S. to Sponsor Low-Cost Mosquito Net Program in Uganda, Benefiting More Than 1 Million
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2006
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WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced that it will collaborate with the Government of Uganda to implement a 19-district insecticide re-treatment program for 715,000 bed nets to protect more than 1 million residents from malaria. The program is supported by the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) and will begin in May 2006.
Specifically, the insecticides will bind to the bed nets and last up to three years, giving each family sleeping under the net protection from the primary transmitter of the malaria virus - the female Anopheles species of mosquito.
"Uganda suffers from approximately 70,000 to 100,000 deaths yearly as a result of malaria," said Dr. Kent R. Hill, Assistant Administrator for USAID's Bureau for Global Health. "Thirty-nine percent of all outpatient visits are malaria related, and 11 to 23 percent of all under-five deaths are caused by the disease. This particular malaria intervention is significant because it demonstrates how a small investment can result in so many lives saved. Re-treating bed nets is arguably one of the most cost-effective ways of preventing malaria."
These long-lasting insecticide-treated nets are one of the most effective ways to combat the spread of malaria in endemic countries. In recent years, there has been a growing number of mosquito nets and a corresponding rise in usage in Uganda. In 2004, the total number of nets in the country was estimated at 1.2 million. However, the majority of these nets -- upwards of 95 percent -- have never been treated with long-lasting insecticide.
A new technique, known as the plastic bag method, will be the mode of re-treatment for this program. This method involves the net being treated in a plastic bag by a trained dipper in a village. This pioneering method is easily managed, allows a large number of nets to be treated, and guarantees that the insecticide permeates the net. The re-treatment process is also very inexpensive, costing 75 cents per net treated.
Announced by President Bush on June 30, 2005, Uganda is one of the initial three PMI focus countries designated for the historic $1.2 billion, five-year initiative to fight malaria. The goal is to reduce malaria-related mortality in 15 African countries by 50 percent, by obtaining 85 percent coverage of vulnerable populations with high-impact interventions. Long-lasting insecticide treated nets are part of the four key components of the PMI, which also includes the spraying of homes with insecticides, addressing malaria in pregnant women, and the mass distribution of new anti-malarial treatment called artemisinin combination therapy, currently the most effective malaria treatment today.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
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