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The
latest exciting new from Tanzania - January 2007
At present nets are sold at
1000/- each, except to houses that are really poor,
plus former street children homes and leprosy
victims homes.
In brief the team
purchases, nets, sprays, sprayers and the
protective clothing. The 1000/- goes to delivery
costs. Whilst distributing the nets speakers
broadcast malaria and HIV awareness songs and
the team hands out phamplets to the schools and
villagers.
The team has also purchased a motor bike and a Rotaractor goes
around the villages a week before
distribution day (most Saturdays or Sundays) in
order to promote the distribution.
Canadian
Rotarians help to fight Malaria in Tanzania
My colleague Don de Savigny has forwarded me
some e-mail correspondence concerning the
exciting initiative being undertaken by Canadian
Rotarians to expand their commitment to the
fight against malaria in
Tanzania
. Let me say how much we welcome this assistance
and that we look forward to working with you to
ensure that this help is used in the most
effective way to help those most in need who are
not currently being reached by our existing
programmes.
The
cornerstone of the National Insecticide
Treated Nets programme (NATNETS) is the Public
Private Partnership between the Public Sector,
various NGOs and the four Tanzanian Net
Manufacturers. NATNETS consists of three main
components:
i)
The
SMARTNET social marketing programme (financed by
DFID/RNE) and run by PSI. SMARTNET carries out
demand creation and behaviour change
communication activities and provides the
insecticide treatment kits free of charge to the
four Tanzanian net manufacturers. As a result of
SMARTNET, all nets manufactured and sold in
Tanzania
have been bundled with an insecticide treatment
kit since October 2002. Re-treatment kits (Ngao
and Ngao
ya Muda Mrefu) are sold by PSI at a
significantly discounted price through a network
of private retailers.
ii)
The
Tanzanian National Voucher Scheme (Hati
Punguzo) (financed by the Global
Fund) which gives a discount voucher (for Tzs
3,250) covering 65 – 75% of the retail price
of a net (depending on the size she chooses to
buy) to pregnant women and mothers/caretakers of
infants. The TNVS was launched in October 2004
and since then has expanded to cover the whole
country, with the last districts in Rukwa being
reached in May 2006. The infant voucher
(financed by the US President’s Malaria
Initiative) was launched in October 2006 and
operates in 15 Regions. (The remaining 6 regions
will be covered in PMI Year 2, which starts in
July). We will also be piloting an Equity
Voucher, starting later this month, that will
provide the top up amount of (TZs 1,750) to the
poorest of the poor pregnant women and infants
in six districts. This will roll out to seven
regions in PMT Y2 from July onwards. Since the
introduction of the TNVS, more than 4,000 small
retailers have been licensed to exchange nets
for vouchers, which the retailer can only
exchange for more nets. Nets are now available
in the most remote parts of the country as a
result of the programme. The TNVS is implemented
by a number of NGOs including the Canadian based
MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates)
who handle the logistics and World Vision who
conduct the training and promotion. Monitoring
and Evaluation is handled by the London Scholl
of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine together with
the Ifakara Health Research and Development
Centre.
iii)
The
ITN Cell in the National Malaria Control
Programme (that’s us!). We are financed by the
Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation
through the Swiss Tropical Institute and form
one of a number of parts of NMCP. Our role
is to facilitate and co-ordinate the whole
programme, ensure continuity of funding etc.
We
try to encourage all organisations wishing to
involve themselves with the distribution of ITNS
to work with us to ensure that the work of the
private sector is not undermined by the
distribution of free nets. Currently PLAN
International have financed a project voucher
(administered by MEDA) which is being
distributed to under fives in the six districts
where they operate. The PLAN voucher is
exchanged, with a top up amount, for a net from
a private retailer in the same way as a normal
voucher. We are also working with the Anglican
Diocese of Dar es Salaam to plan a project
voucher for then as well. Both these
organisations are making a substantial
commitment to working at community level to
ensure sustainable behaviour change, which we
strongly support.
As
a result of these various initiatives, coverage
of the most vulnerable groups has more or less
doubled in the last twelve months and continues
to rise. Nevertheless we have not reached the
Abuja
targets of 60% coverage for pregnant women and
under fives and welcome whatever help you may be
able to provide. I would be happy to discuss
your programme with you at more length and find
the best way to put the efforts of Canadian
Rotarians to work. Please feel free to give me a
call whenever convenient.
Best
regards and Happy New Year.
Nick
Brown
ITN
Cell Team Leader (NETCELL)
National
Malaria Control Programme
Ministry of Health
Ocean Rd, NIMR Complex-CEEMI Bldg
P.O. Box
3430
, Dar-Es-Salaam
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