Uganda

Uganda had a population of 28.2 million in 2006, with about 35% of the population below the poverty line. The GDP per capita is US$1,800.

Malaria is endemic throughout the country with 90% of the total population in highly endemic, primarily rural areas. It accounts for 25% of all outpatient attendances in Uganda and 15.4% discounted life years lost due to death from malaria and 12.9 days lost due to absenteeism. The overall cost of malaria in Uganda is estimated at nearly 1% of the Gross Domestic Product. The National Malaria Control Programme outlines insecticide treated nets (ITNs) as a key strategy for malaria control. The government has allocated funds to the districts to plan and encourage the use of ITNs.

There is no local manufacturer of nets, although there have been some discussions to start a small production unit. Net ownership varies according to rural or urban areas and also according to project sites. Household coverage is estimated at less than 5%, although some areas have higher coverage. Approximately 45% of the population spend money on other anti-mosquito measures such as coils and aerosols.

NetMark launched in Uganda in 2003 and has dramatically expanded the availability of insecticide-treated and untreated mosquito nets in the country. NetMark's work resulted in or contributed to several successes in the fight against malaria in Uganda:

The number of nets distributed in Uganda jumped from 280,295 to about 2.5 million in 2004.
Ninety-three percent of net distribution in Uganda in 2005 came from the private sector.
There are now five ITN distributors in Uganda compared to only one in 2002.
The number of outlets selling nets increased from five only in Kampala to 1,747 throughout the country.
The average ITN price dropped to $5.50 from $8.00 in 2002.
The commercial sector's investment in the ITN business has increased nearly ten times from $595,283 in 2003 to nearly $5.6 million by the end of 2006, with businesses investing $2.33 for every dollar USAID spent in fiscal year 2005.
Commercial sales of ITNs and untreated nets in Uganda topped 2.2 million and 2.5 million, respectively, for a total of nearly 5 million netes between 2003 and March 2006.

NetMark's goal in Uganda is to battle malaria by creating a sustainable, national market for ITNs that makes them accessible and affordable for all. To do this, NetMark developed the Full Market Impact™ (FMI™) approach to establish a sustainable commercial market that complements donor-led ITN efforts by reaching people who can buy ITNs. Ultimately, this frees up resources that can be used to reach more people who can not pay for nets.

NetMark's work in Uganda includes:

Expanding public knowledge and use of ITNs (particularly long lasting ITNs) thorugh a multimedia campaign to create demand.
Providing support to manufacturers and distributors to ensure consistent supply of stock.
Providing support to distributors to make their products more widely available through retail outlets throughout the country, in both urban and rural areas.
Encouraging participation of more international manufacturers and local distributors for greater competition among brands. This has ultimately lowered prices and made the products available to all socio-demographic groups, especially those more vulnerable to malaria.
Evaluating progress and measuring impact through ongoing retail audits adn periodic household surveys.

The ITN market in Uganda is robust and growing. NetMark's commercial partners now plan to be in the ITN and LLIN market for the long term, which means ITNs will remain available long after donor funds shift to other priorities over time.

International Manufacturers	Local Distributors	Products & Brands	Description
A-Z Textiles (Tanzania)	Safinet (Uganda) Ltd.	Safinet®	A package with a mosquito net and a Fendona® Treatment Kit
SiamDutch Mosquito Netting Co. Ltd.	Quality Chemicals Limited (QCL)	K-O Net™	A package with a mosquito net and a K-O Tab® Re-treatment Kit
Bayer Environmental Sciences	Quality Chemicals Limited (QCL)	K-O Tab®	A home treatment kit
Sunflag (Tz) Ltd.	Cooper Uganda Limited	CooperNet®	A package with a mosquito net and an Iconet™ Treatment Kit
Sunflag (Tz) Ltd.	Xnet (Uganda) Limited	Sleepnet®	A package with a mosquito net and an Iconet™ Treatment Kit
Vestergaard-Frandsen	Fotogenix Limited	PermaNet®	Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Net (LLIN)

For additional information regarding NetMark's activities in Uganda, please contact:

Allan Were
NetMark Country Manager
Rwenzori House
Plot 1
Lumumba Avenue
Kampala, Uganda
+256 772 422 716
awere@aed.org