Academy for Educational Development

Washington, D.C., July 5, 2007 —Local retailers have provided 80% of the 4.5 million nets currently in households and half of the nets that are insecticide treated (ITNs).

In 2000, few retail outlets carried ITNs—essential tools in the fight against malaria—and their retail price ranged from $USD12-18. Research International’s retail audit, funded by USAID, shows that nets and ITNs, including four long-lasting brands (LLINs) are now sold in about 24,000 retail outlets. Prices have dropped dramatically to an average of less than USD$7 for an ITN/LLIN, with the smallest LLIN selling for under USD$4.

With support from AED’s USAID-funded NetMark Project, Ugandan businesses have helped increase ITN ownership from 1% in 2000 to 21% in 2006, according to a recent household survey implemented by Uganda Chartered HealthNet and funded by USAID.

Nightly use of insecticide-treated nets has been proven effective in reducing malaria, the leading cause of illness and death in Uganda. However, in 2000 only 1% of pregnant women and children under five (the groups most vulnerable to severe malaria) slept under an ITN. Now with more nets in Ugandan homes, the household survey shows that 13-14% of pregnant women and children under five sleeps under an ITN.

The United States’ President’s Malaria Initiative is supporting the Ugandan Government’s National Malaria Control Program in implementing a strategy that promotes commercial distribution for those who can afford to pay and highly subsidized or free nets to especially vulnerable populations.

“This approach, backed by intensive behavior-change communications activities by international ITN manufacturers, Ugandan distributors, and NetMark, among others, is paying off,” said Allan Were, NetMark’s country manager in Uganda. “Not only has net ownership increased overall, but the change has been greatest in poor families and in rural areas, where the burden of malaria is heaviest.” The study shows that none of the poorest households owned an ITN in 2000, while 22% did in 2006.

More than 3.5 million of the estimated 4.5 million nets currently in households were purchased at a retail outlet. This represents a savings of close to USD$20 million that donors did not have to spend to provide subsidized nets to those who are willing and able to pay.

The commercial sector’s role in reducing the burden of malaria extends beyond retail sales. With a competitive market in place, AED leveraged its strong commercial partnerships to help Millennium Promise in procuring LLINs for free distribution in Uganda at a cost of less than USD$5 per net.

“This is more than USD$1 less than what other institutions have paid in the past year and the savings meant that an additional 12,000 households received an LLIN,” says David McGuire, vice president and director of the AED Center for Private Sector Health Initiatives.

“More remains to be done to further boost ITN ownership and use, and the commercial sector has demonstrated that it is a powerful development partner, not just for retail sales, but also for free distribution.”

NetMark works with commercial partners to achieve sustainable ITN delivery systems for malaria prevention in sub-Saharan Africa.

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