Home »
Research
»
Gains in awareness, ownership and use of insecticide-treated ...
Gains in awareness, ownership and use of insecticide-treated nets in Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia
Carol A Baume & Celeste Marin | 07 Aug 2023
Malaria Journal
Background
In April 2000, the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) "Abuja Summit" set a
target of having at least 60% of pregnant women and children under five
use insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). Thereafter, programmes were
implemented to create demand, reduce taxes and tariffs, spur the
commercial market, and reach vulnerable populations with free or
subsidized ITNs. Using national ITN monitoring data from the
USAID-sponsored AED/NetMark project, this article examines the extent
to which these activities were successful in increasing awareness,
ownership, and use of nets and ITNs.
Methods
A series of surveys with standardized sampling and measurement
methods was used to compare four countries at two points in time.
Surveys were conducted in 2000 and again in 2004 (Nigeria, Senegal,
Zambia) or 2006 (Uganda). They contained questions permitting
classification of each net as untreated, ever-treated or
currently-treated (an ITN). Household members as well as nets owned
were enumerated so that households, household members, and nets could
be used as units of analysis. Several measures of net/ITN ownership,
plus RBM ITN use indicators, were calculated. The results show the
impact of ITN activities before the launch of massive free net
distribution programmes.
Results
In 2000, treated nets were just being introduced to the public, but
four to six years later the awareness of ITNs was nearly universal in
all countries but Nigeria, where awareness increased from 7% to 60%. By
any measure, there were large increases in ownership of nets,
especially treated nets, in all countries. All countries but Nigeria
made commensurate gains in the proportion of under-fives sleeping under
a net/ITN, and in all countries the proportion of pregnant women
sleeping under a net/ITN increased greatly.
Conclusions
A mix of demand creation, a strengthened commercial sector, reduced
taxes and tariffs, and programmes making ITNs available at reduced
prices resulted in impressive gains in awareness, ownership, and use of
nets and ITNs in Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, and Uganda between 2000 and
2004-2006. None of the countries reached the ambitious Abuja targets
for ITN use, but they made substantial progress towards them.
Full article available at:
https://www.malariajournal.com/content/7/1/153