Malaria
- School Distribution as Keep-Up Strategy to Maintain Universal Coverage of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets: Implementation and Results of a Program in Southern Tanzania
A school-based net distribution program, piloted in the Southern Zone of Tanzania to sustain ≥80% universal net coverage previously attained through mass campaigns, successfully issued nets to nearly all eligible students and teachers. Keys to success included:
Effective collaboration between the Ministry of Health, local government, and implementing partners
Social mobilization to sensitize the community about the importance of net use
Development of a mobile application to facilitate data collection and analysis
- Are pregnant women prioritized for bed nets? An assessment using survey data from 10 African countries
Women of reproductive age are generally more likely to sleep under an insecticide-treated net (ITN) than other household members. Universal coverage increases ITN use by all family members, including pregnant women. However, BCC efforts are needed to achieve desired levels of bed net use, which is especially important for pregnant women.
- Moving malaria in pregnancy programs from neglect to priority: experience from Malawi, Senegal, and Zambia
Program areas that were generally working well in malaria in pregnancy programs (MIP) included: (1) integration of MIP interventions into antenatal care; (2) development of up-to-date policies; (3) active involvement of communities; and (4) development of capacity-building materials for training. Challenges remain in the areas of: (1) commodities; (2) quality assurance; (3) monitoring and evaluation; and (4) financing.