How Expensive Are Mosquito Nets?
WouterDuring the last decade, buyers have made a major push to reduce the cost of mosquito nets. This is a key tool in preventing the spread of malaria, an ancient disease that can kill up to four million people a year.
The World Health Organization reports that 214 million malaria cases took place in 2015. The vast majority of these cases were travelers to sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, immigrants from South Asia are also at risk.
The rising costs of mosquito nets are taking a toll on programmes. This includes the increased cost of raw materials, which are in turn eating into budgets. These higher prices are expected to continue into 2022. It will also force programmes to cut the rollout of new, more effective tools.
The CDC Foundation supports the Bed Nets for Children Program, which helps Centers for Disease Control and Prevention teams buy insecticide-treated bed nets. These long-lasting insecticidal nets are a powerful public health tool that have saved more than 7 million lives.
The evolution of these tools is critical to accelerating progress towards malaria elimination. Currently, long-lasting insecticidal nets cost approximately $5.00 apiece. These nets provide protection for two people for up to three years.
This is a good price point, but it is not cheap for the poor rural African community. These communities rely on subsistence farming. They cannot afford to purchase the more expensive, long-lasting insecticide-treated bed net.
Insecticide-treated mosquito nets are made from cotton or polyethylene and are treated with a drenching of piperonyl butoxide, an organic compound used in pesticide formulations.
