By Dorca Nhaca
On 3rd November 2016 the Ministry of Health, Mozambique, launched the largest ever distribution of mosquito nets. In total over 13 million long lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLIN) will be distributed throughout the country – an important step to reducing the burden of malaria.
Malaria Consortium has supported the roll out of this mass distribution in the most populous province of the country, Nampula, located in the north of the country, delivering LLINs to protect over five million people.
As a consultant on the project, I travelled the Nampula province monitoring and supporting distribution efforts. The importance of this project was clear during my visits to various districts. Everywhere I went people converged en masse to the distribution points and were eager to get mosquito nets to protect their families.
I managed to speak with some of the recipients about the project and what it means for their families. This is what they told me:
Mrs Gracinda Francisco, Monapo district
“Today I received two mosquito nets and I am very happy because my family will be protected from mosquito bites. The mosquito causes malaria which is a disease that makes us very weak. Before receiving these nets, the situation was very complicated in our home because we only had one old net to share with our son. The net was old and damaged and the mosquitos could easily enter through the holes. We had a terrible time because our home is close to the Monapo River which brings a lot of mosquitoes. People are constantly sick. Last month, my son fell ill and had to be admitted in hospital for treatment. I was worried because he is still very small. He is doing better now and these nets will help a lot to prevent malaria in my family.”
Calima Primeiro, Rapale district
“I am very happy to have received these nets. It will greatly improve malaria care at home. The people in my neighborhood have suffered a lot from malaria and we have also suffered from this disease in our home. We had not used mosquito nets for a long time. A few weeks ago, I myself got malaria and I was very resentful because I was very weak and could not walk or work on the farm. We are currently in the agricultural season where we sow corn, peanuts and other crops, so my sickness caused a difficult situation. The children who live with me could not go to the farm because they had to take care of me. I had to stay home and could not do anything for about eight days. After this, my daughter and grand-daughter became sick with malaria and I had to take them to the hospital for treatment. This was a big learning experience for me: we got sick because we did not protect ourselves.
The government came at the right time to help us fight this disease. I know that malaria is dangerous and a killer disease. Now, if we use the mosquito net we can not only avoid getting sick, but also avoid spending money for the medicines and use this money for other things. So, I and my family will use the mosquito nets so we don’t get bitten by mosquitoes.”
Valentim Daniel António, Nampula City
“I started using a mosquito net in 2010 when my wife became sick with malaria. At the time, she was pregnant. Besides not having the financial means to buy a mosquito net, we did not realise the importance of nets, because we thought that if we got sick we could just go to the hospital and get treated. But this time it was different. My wife was so sick that she had to be admitted to hospital while she was pregnant; she became very weak and had to take intravenous drugs. Luckily my wife got better and when she left the hospital, the nurse who cared for her asked us if we had a net at home and we said no. She gave a net to my wife and advised us to always use the net because malaria can be deadly. When we got home, we started using the net, but my kids did not because we had only one.
I bought two more nets for my children and nephews but after several years they developed holes and I could not replace them, but today, I received three new nets, and I want to thank the government.
I say with great pride that I use the mosquito net to protect my family’s health against malaria. If this net gets spoiled, then I will buy replacements. I am pleased to be a part of those benefiting from mosquito nets and I have been mobilising my family, friends and neighbors to use the mosquito net because it protects us from the mosquito bite that causes malaria – it is really worth it.”
Dorca Nhaca is a consultant to Malaria Consortium in its Nampula Office, Mozambique
This undertaking is part of a nation-wide initiative lead by the Ministry of Health with support from the Malaria Prevention and Control project, a country-wide initiative funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and implemented by World Vision as primary partner, Malaria Consortium, Food for the Hungry (FH) and Foundation for Community Development (FDC).
