[afro-nets] World Bank Falsified Information On Malaria Treatment(6)

[Marcy Erskine <marcy_erskine@yahoo.ca>]

World Bank Falsified Information On Malaria Treatment (6)
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Dear Philip

Thanks for sending out your link to the article. I wish to address the
information regarding Togo and Zambia, where you state:

"Bed nets appear convenient since one can pretend that distribution
equates with use. For example, the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) passed out the equivalent of one net per home in
Togo and Zambia and claimed 90 percent coverage against malaria. It
relegated to a footnote the fact that only 56 percent of those nets were
being used (and that amount does not mean they were used properly all
night)."

It is incorrect that USAID was the back donor for Togo or Zambia. CIDA
(Canadian International Development Agency) was the principle donor for
both programs, with funding going through the Canadian Red Cross.

In addition, it is noteworthy that education campaigns for improving
utilization continue in Togo, with IFRC funding over the coming three
years. One of the lessons learned from Togo was that post-distribution
education campaigns are important for improving utilization, notably
since most distributions occur in the dry season (both because of the
timing of vaccination campaigns and due to logistics in terms of
delivery) and use of nets is seasonal.

Large scale net distributions have continued since Togo and Zambia, tied
to supplementary immunization activities (measles and polio
vaccinations). In a subnational distribution in Mozambique, distribution
of 400,000 LLITNs attained 60% utilization by children under five and
the education campaign will continue over the coming three years. The
CDC post-distribution survey for Mozambique found that in houses that
had received a campaign net, 95% of the nets were hanging (rainy season
data).

If you require further information, please contact Jason Peat, Malaria
Program Coordinator for the Canadian Red Cross, at the CC'd address
above.

Best regards,

Marcy

--
Marcy Erskine, MSc, PhD
Malaria Advisor,
Canadian Red Cross (Niamey)
mailto:marcy_erskine@yahoo.ca