Promoting and sustaining use of insecticide-treated bednets in a rural community

Godwin Aja

Background: High quality information on malaria prevention, control and treatment from reviews produced by the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Review Group, shared with consumers in a rural Nigerian community, led to a concerted action against malaria, followed by a community-driven partnership with local distributors to increase use of insecticide-treated bednets.
Objectives: To highlight how community initiated strategies, through a strong community leadership support and partnership, enhanced the promotion and increased use of insecticide-treated bednets in a rural community.
Methods: Community leadership identified potential local insecticide-treated bednet distributors, sought for a discount and provided 50% subsidy for consumers. An intensive community-wide campaign was mounted to sensitize consumers with the aim of increasing the use of insecticide-treated bednets.
Results: Community leadership-initiated action, based on previous campaign against mosquitoes and malaria, using Cochrane information, elicited widespread community interest in the promotion, purchase and increased use of insecticide-treated bednets.

Ottawa 2004 P-001