Tightening the net on malaria
Africa needs more insecticide-treated nets to combat malaria, and better systems to make sure the extra nets are sent where they are most needed.
Malaria is a major cause of death in many parts of the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Recently, there has been a renewed emphasis on using preventive measures to reduce the deaths and illnesses caused by malaria. Insecticide-treated nets are the most prominent preventive measure used in areas where malaria is particularly common. However, despite huge international efforts to send enough nets to the regions that need them, the processes of delivering and distributing the nets are inefficient. This problem is compounded by the fact that little information is available on how many nets people actually own and use within each country.
Samir Bhatt and co-workers have now created a mathematical model that describes the use and distribution of nets across Africa since 2000. This is based on data collected from national surveys and reports on the delivery and distribution of the nets. The model estimates that in 2013, only 43% of people at risk of malaria slept under a net. Furthermore, 21% of new nets were allocated to households that already had enough nets, an inefficiency that has worsened over the years. Nets are also lost from households much more rapidly than previously thought.
It’s currently estimated that 920 million additional nets are required to ensure that everyone at risk from malaria in Africa is adequately protected. However, Bhatt and co-workers’ model suggests that given the current inefficiencies in net distribution, the extra nets would in reality protect a much smaller proportion of the population. Taking measures to more effectively target the nets to the households that need them could improve this coverage level to 95% of the population. The next challenge is to devise distribution strategies to send nets to where they are most needed.
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To find out more
Read the eLife research paper on which this eLife digest is based: “Coverage and system efficiencies of insecticide-treated nets in Africa from 2000 to 2017” (December 29, 2015)
