NetMark represented a time-limited investment by USAID to reduce the burden of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa by increasing the commercial supply of and public demand for insecticide treated nets. This was achieved primarily through partnerships with commercial companies and national malaria control programs, and national scale public education and promotional efforts.

NetMark and the 51 commercial partners it worked with since 1999 have invested over $90 million in the target countries and created sustainable commercial markets for ITNs and LLINs, making them available to all socio-economic groups. High risk groups such as pregnant women and children less than five years are receiving free or subsidized ITNs in many countries, and donors are better able to target their free distribution to the neediest.

The following results of NetMark are based on retail audits, sales data from partners and household surveys conducted in 2000, 2004 and 2008:

• In four of the NetMark countries surveyed in 2004, it is estimated that nearly 15 million more people were protected from malaria by ITNs than before NetMark began activities in 2000. NetMark is in the process of making similar estimates in all other countries.

• NetMark’s communication activities have helped teach more than 200 million people about the dangers of malaria and how ITNs can prevent it.

• NetMark’s programs have benefited the lower socio-economic groups as much or more than the wealthiest groups. In Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Zambia, the poorest 40% of the population own 33% of the nets. In contrast, 26% of nets distributed by the public sector (usually at highly subsidized prices) went to the wealthiest 20% of households.

• NetMark has demonstrated that voucher programs are feasible in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Zambia, 225,000 pregnant women and mothers of children being vaccinated received vouchers at health clinics and redeemed them for discounted or free ITNs in commercial outlets. 2.1 million families used a voucher with an overall redemption rate of 90%.

• Competition among brands served to restrain price levels and increases. NetMark found that the average prices of the ITNs sold in its countries in 2004 were actually lower than the average prices of untreated nets in 2001. As the technology moved to long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) that were at full strength up to 20 washes, NetMark's partners began to shift to the marketing of LLINs. While more expensive than ITNs, in most countries the LLINs were still at a lower price than untreated nets had been in 2001, while being much more effective in preventing malaria. (The table on Consumer Pricing sets out these Comparative prices).

COUNTRY	2001 (PRE-NETMARK)	2009	2009
	Untreated Net	Bundled ITN 3 washes	LLIN 20 washes
Ethiopia	$6.40	$5.11	Commercial LLINs not available
Ghana	$7.14	$6.45	$6.45
Nigeria	$3.64	$3.90	$7.50
Senegal	$8.00	$5.45	$7.29
Uganda	$14.29	$4.53	$5.50

• NetMark partners sold 60 million nets through August 2009. NetMark’s national public education and promotion programs have increased demand for and sales of ITNs beyond its formal partners. It has increased use of ITNs whether distributed through the public or commercial sector.

• Since 1999, NetMark has partnered with 42 African and 9 multinational commercial partners who have invested over $90 million dollars in country programs and made organizational changes to support growing market demand. This will ensure a sustainable supply of nets when donors are no longer willing or able to supply free nets for all of sub-Saharan Africa’s 836 million people.

• Before NetMark, insecticide treated nets (which makes them twice as effective at preventing malaria) were not available for sale in most countries Now, 65% of nets owned in NetMark countries have been treated.