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Global Philanthropy
MEDA And Helpful Partners Use Commercial Supply Chain Acceleration - Using Vouchers to Reach Scale on Distribution of Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNs)
Waterloo - Over 2 million ITNs distributed using vouchers - and still counting! Malaria continues to be one of the most dreaded diseases in Tanzania but sleeping under a net treated with insecticide greatly reduces the risk of contracting the disease. In some places, organizations distribute mosquito nets free of charge every few years.
This works, as long as the net stays intact and no new children are born. Because the nets are free, local stores don't stock them, so they cannot be replaced.
This project works to create a marketplace for mosquito nets where the voucher covers most of the retail cost of an ITN, but the voucher recipient also pays a small amount and therefore values it more. A demand is created for ITNs, so store owners have reason to stock them. Already over 4,500 retail shops in Tanzania sell ITNs to both voucher customers and non-voucher customers alike.
The two groups most at risk from malaria are pregnant women and infant children. Pregnant women receive vouchers at local health clinics during their regular prenatal check-up and infant children receive a voucher during their regular childhood immunization. Vouchers for pregnant women are supported with funding from the Tanzania Ministry of Health and the Global Fund while vouchers for infants are supported with funding from USAID.
So far the impact of this project is staggering. Research suggests that six lives are being spared for every 1,000 nets sold. In addition to the lives that are saved, ITNs prevent serious illness that would devastate families - wages would be lost and costly treatment would be needed.
View Video: Hati Punguzo: Insecticide-Treated Mosquito Nets for Tanzania
Mennonite Economic Development Associates – is hosting a week-long visit by 2-3 officials from the Tanzanian Ministry of Health Feb 24-Mar 1. As a partner of theirs in a large project to distribute ITNs (insecticide-treated nets) across the country to reduce/eliminate the transmission of malaria via mosquitoes, especially among pregnant women and young children.
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