How we’re helping to cover Ghana’s Ashanti Region with 2.5 million nets

Mar 12

This month 2.5 million mosquito nets are being distributed in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. These life-saving nets, provided through support from The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and US President’s Malaria Initiative, will be used to cover the region’s entire population of 5 million people.

Thanks to funds raised and donated by our supporters, we have been able to provide volunteers with the vital supplies needed to hang these nets in every home, provide guidance on their care and use, and help people to sleep protected from malaria.

Take a look at our photo story below, which gives a real insight into just what is involved in this mammoth effort.

Thank you to ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! , Tesco Global Finance Directors, and all of those who donated through The Big Give Christmas Challenge – it’s your support that has helped us make this possible.

This work is part of our ongoing collaborative partnership in Ghana aiming to distribute enough nets to protect everyone, in every region, by the end of 2012.

Ashanti is Ghana’s most populous region, home to almost 5 million people. Everyone in Ashanti, like the rest of Ghana, is at risk from malaria.

Malaria is both a cause and effect of poverty in this region. Malaria sickness frequently keeps children out of school and people off work.

Over 70% of all illness seen at this Ashanti clinic is suspected to be malaria. Nuhu Faisal, pictured here, is receiving his rapid diagnostic test result, confirming he has malaria. Each illness takes its toll on families and on Ghana’s health system.

The good news is that a major campaign is underway this month to provide life-saving insecticide treated mosquito nets to cover everyone in the Ashanti region. These nets provide a physical and chemical barrier to prevent malarial mosquitoes from biting people during their favourite feeding time – at night!

The campaign to cover Ashanti Region is distributing 2.5 million nets, thanks to a fantastic collaboration between local, national and international partners, including Malaria No More UK. Each of the bales pictured being unloaded here contains 100 nets, so moving 2.5 million is a big task!

Local community volunteers from each area have been selected and trained to register homes to see how many nets are needed. This means they can take the right number of nets to each home to cover every person living there – on average one net covers two people sleeping together.

To make sure people are able to use their nets, the volunteers help by hanging them in every home. Thanks to funds raised through our partnerships with I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and Tesco Global Finance Directors, Malaria No More UK has been able to provide volunteers with supplies like hammers, ropes and nails to enable all the nets to be hung.

Volunteers are also trained to help people understand how to use and care for their nets. With donations provided through the 2011 Big Give Christmas Challenge we have also been able to equip each of the region’s 54,000 volunteers with illustrated message cards to help them educate their communities.
Once the nets are hung, volunteers show people how to sleep protected by tucking the nets in around the mattress every night so the mosquitoes cannot get inside.
As the volunteers are also from the community, they and their families will also benefit from the nets, helping them to sleep protected too.
This campaign will enable everyone in the Ashanti Region to benefit from the protection of a mosquito net. It is part of our ongoing collaborative partnership in Ghana aiming to distribute enough nets to protect everyone, in every region, by the end of 2012.