ETHIOPIA
Ethiopia
had a population of 74.8 million in 2006, with about 50% of the population
below the poverty line. The GDP per capita is US$900.
Malaria
prevalence ranges throughout the country. About 75% of the region is
malarious, with about 68% of the total population at risk of malaria.
Annually 3-6 million cases of malaria are reported, while the number
of actual cases are estimated to be about 8-10 million.
According
to NetMark research, 25.3% of the population owns a mosquito net (treated
or untreated), and 10.7% of the population owns an ITN.
NetMark's Work in Ethiopia
NetMark
conducted a baseline household survey in Ethiopia in April 2004, and
the program officially launched in November 2004. NetMark partnered
with East African Group (EAG) to launch the first Ethiopian
branded ITN, Selam Enkilf (Peaceful Sleep). Prior to distributing
their product, EAG, with NetMark's support, successfully lobbied the
Government of Ethiopia to remove the 15% VAT on ITNs. This accomplishment
paved the way for other commercial partners to enter the market. In
June 2005, Petram entered the market and began distributing
pre-treated nets from SiamDutch under the brandname, WobaLba (Protection).
In April 2004, NetMark launched a Targeted Subsidies (TS) program in
the Amhara Region. The TS program provides pregnant women with a voucher
covering roughly 70%-90% of the price of an ITN from a retailer. NetMark
fosters demand for ITNs and helps local businesses meet that demand,
which leads to health and economic benefits that local communities can
sustain on their own. Before the program started, ITNs in the highly
malarious Amhara Region were hard for people to obtain in poor and rural
areas, putting already vulnerable populations at further risk. In addition,
few people in poor or rural areas were aware of ITNs and how they can
protect from malaria.
Since the TS program launched:
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The number of health facilities providing vouchers to pregnant women nearly doubled to 39.
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More than 33,000 pregnant women have been reached and more than 60% of the ITN vouchers have been redeemed.
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ITN demand and availability spread throughout Amhara, including poor and rural areas, as well as a key urban hub - Desse - the Eastern Amhara capital that previously had no ITN retailers.
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The number of ITN retailers tripled to more than 60 throughout the region; they order an average of 1,000 ITNs a month from NetMark commercial partners.
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As of May 2006, 75% of NetMark partners' sales of ITNs in Ethiopia were at full price, while 25% were subsidized.
| International Manufacturers | Local Distributors | Products & Brands | Description |
| BedNet International | East Africa Group | Selam Enkilf | Pre-treated ITN |
| SiamDutch | Petram | WobaLba | Pre-treated ITN |
For
additional information regarding NetMark's activities in Ethiopia, please
contact:
Shoa
Girma
NetMark Country Manager
Friendship Building
Suite 405
Bole Road
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
sgirma@aed.org
251 11 618 1000
251 11 618 1001 (fax)
