Sierra Leone: a mosquito net for every home to stop malaria deaths

Sierra Leone is rolling out an ambitious programme to reduce the vast number of people in the country still dying from malaria.

On 30 November, the country’s Ministry of Health launched a nationwide distribution of mosquito nets to every single household in the country.

Two weeks on, World Vision community volunteers are part of small teams going door-to-door; helping families put their nets over their beds and promoting malaria-related health messaging.

Globally, malaria kills more than 850,000 people every year – and 85 per cent of these are children under five years old.

Mamie Saidu, 29, from Jaiama Bongor Chiefdom, southern Sierra Leone, knows this only too well: “Four of my seven children died from a high fever when they were just little, some babies.

"After two or three days I took them to the health centre but, despite the medicine they were given, none of them survived.

“It was only when I was told that Esther, my youngest, had malaria that I realised this must have been what my other children died of: I never knew."

Next step

Last week, government health workers, supported by church groups and international aid agencies, including World Vision, worked to distribute almost 60,000 mosquito nets across Jaiama Bongor and three other Chiefdoms in the south.

The community volunteer campaign, which is taking place now, is just the next step. Health Officer in Jaiama Bongor, Vandy Kabba, explains: “This is by no means the final push.

"There will be assessments and monitoring to make sure families are using the nets correctly, to help fix tears or holes, and to check that people haven’t removed the nets for fishing or some other purpose.

“We need to drive malaria out of our homes.”

Trusted

Community volunteers are crucial to eradicating malaria from Sierra Leone: they are known and trusted by the families they visit and they are able to reach the most remote communities, ensuring not one household is overlooked.

In Jaiama Bongor, and across international development projects, World Vision provides regular training for community volunteers – particularly on health messaging, such as malaria awareness – so that volunteers feel empowered and equipped carry out such work.

“It is difficult and takes time to change ingrained habits, like having to clear all standing water from around your house as it offers a breeding grounds for mosquitoes, but the nets offer a simple measure to help control the disease,” said Catherine Sillah, World Vision’s Area Development Manager for Jaiama Bongor.

“Malaria is one of the top five killers of children under five globally as in Sierra Leone. The nationwide net distribution is such an important move by our government: it has to work.”

15 December 2010