by On the train the other day I ended up chatting to a guy called Wayne Shandera who turned out to be a medical researcher. We talked about malaria, and Givewell's endorsement of PSI's mosquito net activities. He pointed me to a couple of studies which (apparently, though I don't have access to them) suggest that mosquito nets are less effective than some people have claimed. I've got the references and one abstract:
Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 76(6), 2007, pp. 1100-1106
'DISTRIBUTION OF FREE UNTREATED BEDNETS BUNDLED WITH INSECTICIDE VIA AN INTEGRATED CHILD HEALTH CAMPAIGN IN LINDI REGION, TANZANIA: LESSONS FOR FUTURE CAMPAIGNS'
JACEK SKARBINSKI*, JULIUS J. MASSAGA, ALEXANDER K. ROWE, AND S. PATRICK KACHUR
Use of insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) to prevent malaria remains low, and effective distribution strategies are needed. An integrated child health campaign with free distribution of 162,254 untreated bednets bundled with insecticide, measles vaccination, vitamin A, and mebendazole for children < 5 years old ("under-5s") was conducted in Lindi Region, Tanzania. We conducted a representative household survey 3 months after the campaign. Altogether, 574 households with 354 under-5s were visited. In households with an under-5, possession of bednets and ITNs increased from 60.9% to 90.7% (P < 0.001) and from 16.5% to 37.3% (P < 0.001), respectively. Increases occurred in all wealth quintiles and equity improved. Reported bednet and ITN use the previous night among under-5s was 46.3% and 21.5%, respectively. Integrated campaigns rapidly and equitably increase bednet possession and use meriting continued large-scale implementation. However, our study found that bednets were rarely treated; thus, future campaigns should provide factory-treated long-lasting ITNs. Low ITN use underscores the need for further efforts to increase use after campaigns.
Stephen C. Smith, Uday B. Joshi, Mark Grabowsky, Joel Selanikio, Theresa Nobiya, AND Thomas Aapore
'Evaluation of Bednets After 38 Months of Household Use in Northwest Ghana'
Am J Trop Med Hyg, Dec 2007; 77: 243 - 248.
......distribute long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets (LLINs) as part of an overall effort to reduce the malaria burden in sub-Saharan Africa. At this...8 ), corresponding to 14.9% of the bednets recovered. DISCUSSION LLINs offer protection from malaria by imposing both a physical and a...pyrethroids on the efficacy of impregnated bednets used as a means of prevention against malaria: results of the evaluation carried......
