SUCCESS STORIES

RBM Partners Key to Successfully Integrating Child Health Programs with Net Distribution

PROBLEM:

Between 300 million and 500 million cases of malaria occur each year, with 90% of those in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 1 million die from this preventable and treatable infectious disease transmitted by the mosquito. Malaria is the number-one killer of children under the age of 5 in Africa.

SOLUTIONS:

The Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) is supporting mass distribution of insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) with more than 18 million free ITNs expected to be distributed in 2006 as part of joint malaria / measles vaccine campaigns in Africa. RBM estimates over half a million lives will be saved.

Kenya distributed 3.4 million nets in a campaign funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (GFATM) to increase the number of children sleeping under ITNs to more than 70%. The campaign was part of a measles vaccination campaign that aims to reach more than five million children ages nine months to five years. Kenya is one of several countries implementing integrated campaigns to distribute bednets alongside other child health interventions such as measles vaccination and vitamin A distribution. In addition to Kenya, the following countries included ITN distribution in child health campaigns:

Angola: The government of Angola, the Measles Initiative, GFATM, and the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) launched a major integrated health campaign that targets more than 3.5 million children with measles and polio vaccinations, vitamin A, deworming medication, and long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs).
Niger: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Government of Niger delivered more than 2 million mosquito nets in December 2005 and March 2006 as part of an integrated campaign to prevent malaria and polio.
Zambia: In 2003, the Zambian Ministry of Health, with support from UNICEF, the Canadian Red Cross and the Canadian International Development Agency, conducted a campaign integrating measles vaccination, ITN distribution, vitamin A supplementation and deworming medication in five underserved districts of Zambia. All households with children under 5 years of age were given an ITN, and coverage rose to 80% after the six-day campaign.

LESSONS LEARNED:

RBM partnerships on the ground in endemic countries play a key role in supporting ITN distribution to save the lives of children. Tightly knit partnerships enable the GFATM, the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), and other donors to realize their goals of reaching vulnerable children to prevent deaths due to malaria.

Source:

www.rollbackmalaria.org

For further information contact:

Ms. Pru Smith
smithp@who.int

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