Ethiopia

ETHIOPIA

NetMark was active nationwide in Ethiopia from 2003 to 2006. The
targetedsubsidies program was focused in Amhara and Oromia regions.
NetMark Partners included:
• EAI, Permanet® (began 2005)
• Petram, DawaPlus® and Wobalba™ (began 2006)

USAID Country Project Budget: $4,291,000
Commercial Partners’ Investment: $2,498,961

ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

NetMark project goals in Ethiopia were cut short by a shift in government policy concerning free distribution of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and importation bans on commercial nets enacted by the Drug Authority Control Administration of the Federal Government of Ethiopia. Despite these challenges, the discount-voucher subsidy program was successfully established in Amhara and Oromia zones.

NetMark provided advice to Ethiopian companies interested in production of nets and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). A study tour for five companies was arranged to a net stitching company in Kenya. A feasibility study for the production of LLINs was carried out in collaboration with Adami-Tulu Pesticides, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), and the Tesfa-Ilg Foundation.

As part of its technical support to help sustain and increase access of LLIN products in Ethiopia, NetMark, on behalf of the USAID Mission, donated an AlphaImager EC system to the Vector Control Unit of the Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology. The institute will use the machine to conduct bio-efficacy testing on insecticide-impregnated mosquito nets.

SUPPLY OF ITNs

Brands and Sales:
NetMark helped develop the retail market for ITNs in Ethiopia.A total of 215,083 ITNs were sold by NetMark commercial partners in retail outlets in Ethiopia while the project was there.

Retail Outlets/Accessibility:
During the project period of performance, NetMark’s formal partners expanded their distribution outlets, creating over 81 new retailpoints. Sales were mostly driven by the discount-voucher targeted subsidy program. Although early programmatic gains were substantial in Ethiopia, by late 2006, the FMOH had scaled up free net distribution in all malarial areas. The effort to cover ten million households with 20 million nets was a huge undertaking by the Ministry and its National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), and the NMCP has indeed seen some major successes since the scale-up. However, the distribution of free ITNs was often untargeted and unmonitored, which led to a significant number of nets being leaked into major urban markets at prices significantly lower than commercial nets. This resulted in reduced sales for NetMark’s partners and a distortion of the commercial market. In addition to this, free nets were also distributed in areas where the NetMark discount-voucher program was operating. This led NetMark to close down its voucher programs too, since women were receiving free nets at the community level.

Price:
In 2005 and 2006, NetMark commercial partners were successfully selling ITNs in competition with leaked “free” nets. However, due to the massive influx of free nets , by 2008 there was no longer any commercial incentive to sell.

EQUITY VOUCHER PROGRAM AND FREE NETS

In 2005, NetMark launched its discount-voucher targeted subsidy program in Amhara and Oromia regions. Over 62,000 vouchers were distributed, and achieved a redemption rate of 79%. Before NetMark’s voucher program started, ITNs in highly malarial areas (mostly peri-urban and rural areas) were hard for people to obtain through the commercial sector. But as the voucher program took off, so too did awareness and demand for ITNs. However, as noted above, the intensified free net distribution eventually cut into commercial sales so heavily that retailers participating in the voucher program were no longer interested in buying or selling nets.



		ETHIOPIA NetMark was active nationwide in Ethiopia from 2003 to 2006. The targetedsubsidies program was focused in Amhara and Oromia regions. NetMark Partners included: • EAI, Permanet® (began 2005) • Petram, DawaPlus® and Wobalba™ (began 2006) USAID Country Project Budget: $4,291,000 Commercial Partners’ Investment: $2,498,961 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT NetMark project goals in Ethiopia were cut short by a shift in government policy concerning free distribution of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and importation bans on commercial nets enacted by the Drug Authority Control Administration of the Federal Government of Ethiopia. Despite these challenges, the discount-voucher subsidy program was successfully established in Amhara and Oromia zones. NetMark provided advice to Ethiopian companies interested in production of nets and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). A study tour for five companies was arranged to a net stitching company in Kenya. A feasibility study for the production of LLINs was carried out in collaboration with Adami-Tulu Pesticides, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), and the Tesfa-Ilg Foundation. As part of its technical support to help sustain and increase access of LLIN products in Ethiopia, NetMark, on behalf of the USAID Mission, donated an AlphaImager EC system to the Vector Control Unit of the Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology. The institute will use the machine to conduct bio-efficacy testing on insecticide-impregnated mosquito nets. SUPPLY OF ITNs Brands and Sales: NetMark helped develop the retail market for ITNs in Ethiopia.A total of 215,083 ITNs were sold by NetMark commercial partners in retail outlets in Ethiopia while the project was there. Retail Outlets/Accessibility: During the project period of performance, NetMark’s formal partners expanded their distribution outlets, creating over 81 new retailpoints. Sales were mostly driven by the discount-voucher targeted subsidy program. Although early programmatic gains were substantial in Ethiopia, by late 2006, the FMOH had scaled up free net distribution in all malarial areas. The effort to cover ten million households with 20 million nets was a huge undertaking by the Ministry and its National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), and the NMCP has indeed seen some major successes since the scale-up. However, the distribution of free ITNs was often untargeted and unmonitored, which led to a significant number of nets being leaked into major urban markets at prices significantly lower than commercial nets. This resulted in reduced sales for NetMark’s partners and a distortion of the commercial market. In addition to this, free nets were also distributed in areas where the NetMark discount-voucher program was operating. This led NetMark to close down its voucher programs too, since women were receiving free nets at the community level. Price: In 2005 and 2006, NetMark commercial partners were successfully selling ITNs in competition with leaked “free” nets. However, due to the massive influx of free nets , by 2008 there was no longer any commercial incentive to sell. EQUITY VOUCHER PROGRAM AND FREE NETS In 2005, NetMark launched its discount-voucher targeted subsidy program in Amhara and Oromia regions. Over 62,000 vouchers were distributed, and achieved a redemption rate of 79%. Before NetMark’s voucher program started, ITNs in highly malarial areas (mostly peri-urban and rural areas) were hard for people to obtain through the commercial sector. But as the voucher program took off, so too did awareness and demand for ITNs. However, as noted above, the intensified free net distribution eventually cut into commercial sales so heavily that retailers participating in the voucher program were no longer interested in buying or selling nets.		Ethiopia 2004 Household Survey Report (PDF, 702 KB)