BEDNETS: A Big Step Forward in Preventing Malaria

During a recent month-long visit to develop plans for community-based primary health care with the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, a GHM team visited the village of Pella on August 7th when malaria bednets were being distributed.  Households for the remainder of the 3.1 million residents of Adamawa State also obtained bednets through a government program to help reduce the incidence of malaria.

This distribution occurred nine months after six women from Saint Paul Reformation Lutheran Church in Saint Paul visited their sister congregation at Pella and trained twelve village health workers for this event.  The Pella project will inform planning now underway for an Adamawa State-wide malaria prevention initiative to be managed by the LCCN in collaboration with GHM and the Nigerian Ministry of Health.   

Bednet distribution in Pella Village

Through UNICEF and the State Ministry of Health, the people of Nigeria will now have the recourses to combat malaria.  It is questionable, however, what percentage of homes will actually use the free nets.  We do know that the 5,000 people of Pella have the advantage of the volunteer health workers that were trained to do the distribution and on-going monitoring to make sure people understand how to hang the nets, their benefit (especially for children five years and under and for pregnant women), and to encourage their daily use even in hot conditions. With the ELCA's Lutheran Malaria Campaign beginning, the ELCA Global Mission is looking to Global Health Ministries for assistance, based on its experience in Pella, with materials, plans and leadership personnel for expanding effective efforts throughout Nigeria and other countries of Africa.  Collaborative efforts are also anticipated with the Minneapolis Area Synod, ELCA, which is the Companion Synod to the LCCN,

Malaria bed nets airing before use at Pella village home

On the day of distribution in Pella, the village was bathed in a sea of blue nets. While these long-lasting insecticide treated "blue colored" nets are safe, they do have chemicals that necessitate being hung outside for 24 hours prior to being hung inside.  Polio immunizations were also given alongside the net distribution.  It is planned that these trainers from Pella will now train volunteers from other mosques, churches and towns to educate, monitor and encourage the use of the nets state-wide.