Nigeria

NetMark: Public-Private Partnership for Sustainable Malaria Prevention

NIGERIA

Nigeria had a population of 131.9 million in 2006, with about 60% living below the poverty line. The GDP per capita is US $1400.

Malaria is endemic throughout the country, with more than 90% of the total population at risk of stable endemic malaria. Malaria accounts for 25% of infant mortality and 30% of childhood mortality. It is the most common cause of hospital outpatient attendance in all age groups. About 50% of the population has at least one episode of malaria each year.

The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) outlines Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNs) as a key strategy for malaria control. The 1996-2001 plan identifies the widespread promotion of treated nets as an integral part of the program. Importation of ready-made nets is prohibited in Nigeria. Retail audits have demonstrated that over 70% of the population spend money on aerosols and 17% on coils to control mosquitoes.

NetMark's Work in Nigeria

NetMark officially launched in Nigeria in 2002 and, in collaboration with its formal and informal partners, has made notable progress in stimulating the ITN market. NetMark employs an integrated approach in Nigeria with activities covering all facets of the ITN market.

NetMark has seven formal and 25 informal partners in Nigeria. These entities are all private companies engaged in the manufacture, importation, distribution and marketing of treatment kits and insecticide treated nets (ITNs). NetMark estimates that Nigeria manufacturers produce over one million nets a year and can double that output with existing machinery; however, net stitchers appear to produce over three million nets a year.

NetMark's work resulted in or contributed to several successes in the fight against malaria in Nigeria:

A comparison of NetMark's 2000 and 2004 household surveys showed that nearly all measures of impact increased over the period. Awareness of ITNs rose from 7% to 60%; household ownership of nets increased from 12% to 27%; and net ownership increased among all economic segments of the population and high-risk groups.
Four companies are now producing conical nets directly as a result of NetMark's interventions. NetMark works with net manufacturers to improve quality and quantity of production and with net stitcher associations on improving quality, increasing use of WHO-specification netting, and bundling nets with insecticide.
Beginning in 2004, NetMark saw an opportunity to expand ITN availability beyond the products offered by its partners by teaming up with independent net stitchers in Aba, Kano and Lagos to convert the millions of untreated nets they sell each year into ITNs by bundling them with treatment kits.
NetMark promoted and facilitated collaboration between net stitchers and treatment kit distributors so that distributors could increase their share of the ITN market. Stitchers also benefitted from NetMark's investment in heat sealing equipment and support in sourcing the treatment kits and product labels. Three months following this intervention, the net stitchers' quarterly output jumped from 66,956 to 500,799 ITNs.
ITN availability in the market has expanded to almost every state compared to no commercial ITNs for sale anywhere in 2000.

Nigeria 2004 Household Survey Report
(PDF, 1.2MB)

Nigeria 2004 Household Survey Summary
(PDF, 395KB)

Nigeria 2001 Household Survey Report

(PDF, 630 KB)

NetMark is a cooperative agreement between the Academy for Educational Development and the US Agency for International Development



		NIGERIA Nigeria had a population of 131.9 million in 2006, with about 60% living below the poverty line. The GDP per capita is US $1400. Malaria is endemic throughout the country, with more than 90% of the total population at risk of stable endemic malaria. Malaria accounts for 25% of infant mortality and 30% of childhood mortality. It is the most common cause of hospital outpatient attendance in all age groups. About 50% of the population has at least one episode of malaria each year. The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) outlines Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNs) as a key strategy for malaria control. The 1996-2001 plan identifies the widespread promotion of treated nets as an integral part of the program. Importation of ready-made nets is prohibited in Nigeria. Retail audits have demonstrated that over 70% of the population spend money on aerosols and 17% on coils to control mosquitoes. NetMark's Work in Nigeria NetMark officially launched in Nigeria in 2002 and, in collaboration with its formal and informal partners, has made notable progress in stimulating the ITN market. NetMark employs an integrated approach in Nigeria with activities covering all facets of the ITN market. NetMark has seven formal and 25 informal partners in Nigeria. These entities are all private companies engaged in the manufacture, importation, distribution and marketing of treatment kits and insecticide treated nets (ITNs). NetMark estimates that Nigeria manufacturers produce over one million nets a year and can double that output with existing machinery; however, net stitchers appear to produce over three million nets a year. NetMark's work resulted in or contributed to several successes in the fight against malaria in Nigeria: A comparison of NetMark's 2000 and 2004 household surveys showed that nearly all measures of impact increased over the period. Awareness of ITNs rose from 7% to 60%; household ownership of nets increased from 12% to 27%; and net ownership increased among all economic segments of the population and high-risk groups. Four companies are now producing conical nets directly as a result of NetMark's interventions. NetMark works with net manufacturers to improve quality and quantity of production and with net stitcher associations on improving quality, increasing use of WHO-specification netting, and bundling nets with insecticide. Beginning in 2004, NetMark saw an opportunity to expand ITN availability beyond the products offered by its partners by teaming up with independent net stitchers in Aba, Kano and Lagos to convert the millions of untreated nets they sell each year into ITNs by bundling them with treatment kits. NetMark promoted and facilitated collaboration between net stitchers and treatment kit distributors so that distributors could increase their share of the ITN market. Stitchers also benefitted from NetMark's investment in heat sealing equipment and support in sourcing the treatment kits and product labels. Three months following this intervention, the net stitchers' quarterly output jumped from 66,956 to 500,799 ITNs. ITN availability in the market has expanded to almost every state compared to no commercial ITNs for sale anywhere in 2000.		Nigeria 2004 Household Survey Report (PDF, 1.2MB) Nigeria 2004 Household Survey Summary (PDF, 395KB) Nigeria 2001 Household Survey Report (PDF, 630 KB)