Shuaib Akram

Is it better to give people mosquito nets or

make them pay?
desire for better health' and 'are governments to
blame'
Links: http://www.pooreconomics.com/data/country/home
Rafae low hanging fruit
Rizki: health trap
Akash: under-utilised miracles
Shuaib: desire for better health
Akash: money for nothing
Shuaib: are governments to blame
Adya: Does free mean worthless
Khalil: Faith
Khalil: Weak beliefs + necessity of hope

http://nairobi.usembassy.gov/itns_fact_sheet.html

Nowadays, the governments of the US and Australia, along with many other
countries which do not have malaria, still assist in the fight against malaria by
funding malaria control programs in other countries, either directly (for example, the
US funds international health projects through the US Agency for International
Development) or indirectly, through international organisations like the World Health
Organisation and the Global Fund for HIV, TB and Malaria. They also provide
training in technical expertise to scientists, doctors and clinicians from malariaendemic countries.
The governments of countries which have malaria are also deeply engaged in
fighting the disease, mostly through their respective Ministries of Health, which often
have specific malaria departments. In India, for example, malaria control is carried
out by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), which is
part of the Directorate General of Health Services. The NVBDCP carries out a multi-

Shuaib Akram

pronged strategy to combat malaria, including early case detection and treatment,
vector control (with spraying, biological control and personal protection), community
participation, etc. In Uganda, the Malaria Control Programme also carries out the
above activities, and also provides intermittent preventative treatment against
malaria for young children and pregnant women and has in the past engaged in
large-scale distribution of long-lasting insecticide treated bednets. Both countries
also explicitly include monitoring and evaluation as part of their control strategies, to
make sure that any interventions or control efforts they make are having a positive
impact on reducing malaria morbidity and mortality.
Malaria imposes substantial costs to both individuals and governments.
Costs to individuals and their families include purchase of drugs for treating malaria at home;
expenses for travel to, and treatment at, dispensaries and clinics; lost days of work; absence
from school; expenses for preventive measures; expenses for burial in case of deaths.
Costs to governments include maintenance, supply and staffing of health facilities; purchase of
drugs and supplies; public health interventions against malaria, such as insecticide spraying or
distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets; lost days of work with resulting loss of income; and
lost opportunities for joint economic ventures and tourism.
Direct costs (for example, illness, treatment, premature death) have been estimated to be at least
US$ 12 billion per year. The cost in lost economic growth is many times more than that.

Presidents malaria intitiative

PSI (population services international) http://www.nothingbutnets.net/partners/psi.html?
referrer=https://www.google.co.uk/
And look at fact sheet
Can talk about how Kenya has benefited from the PSI and had caused to creat PMI
Health policy plan journal Evans

Impressive results in Kenya, achieved by means of the new WHOrecommended strategy, show that free mass distribution of long-lasting
insecticidal nets is a powerful way to quickly and dramatically increase
coverage, particularly among the poorest people.

Shuaib Akram

In Kenya, from 2004 to 2006, a near ten-fold increase in the number of young children
sleeping under insecticide-treated mosquito nets was observed in targeted districts,
resulting in 44% fewer deaths than among children not protected by nets, according
to preliminary data from the Government of Kenya. This is the first demonstration of
the impact of large-scale distribution of insecticide treated mosquito nets under
programme conditions, rather than in research settings, where, in different parts of
Africa, reduction observed in overall mortality has ranged from 14 % up to 60 %.
These achievements can be attributed to three principal ingredients, which all need to
be present for malaria control efforts to succeed - high political commitment from the
government, strong technical assistance from WHO, and adequate funding from
bilateral and multilateral donors.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr43/en/
Check PSI ITN case study
The PMI is expanding access to free or highly subsidized nets while also creating commercial
markets in African countries. It supports the provision of free nets to those at highest risk from
malaria-pregnant women and children under age 5, particularly infants-and to those who cannot
afford to purchase a mosquito net. It also provides low-cost ITNs where they are needed most and
sells subsidized nets to increase demand, availability, and affordability among vulnerable
populations.