Photo: Laudes Martial Mbon/IRINFollowing on from my previous post about the distribution of insecticide-treated nets to families with small children in Kanya, there is a report that in the Congo 300,000 nets have been distributed by train.
UNICEF and the Congolese government hired the train to reach some of the more remote areas with limited medical facilities. In the Congo, malaria is the main cause of death in children under five, is a leading cause of poor school attendance and also accounts for around 50% of hospital admissions.
The nets are to be distributed to any child under six years old or any woman attending a pre-natal clinic. An additional 200,000 nets are to be donated by the USA.
In Kenya, in the areas where they have been distributing treated nets since 2004, they have reported a 44% drop in the number of malaria related deaths. 13.4 million nets have been given out so far and the plan is to widen the distribution to everyone in a targeted area, although pregnant women and under-fives remain the priority.
These are long-lasting nets with the insecticide treatment designed to last for the lifetime of the net. Conventionally treated nets have to be regularly re-treated.
Sounds great! Such a simple measure giving such a good result! Amazing that it hasn't been done before....
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I agreeee, this is an amazingly simple idea. It's also the sort of aid that will be less likely to be hijacked and fall into the wrong (ie more powerful) hands.
ReplyDeleteAs you both say, amazingly simple, and should have been done before. I would certainly hope it will be extended.
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