Malaria is one of the top killers in Niger - it's victims often the elderly, sick and children under five. Statistics from 2006-2008 (Unicef website):
- 43% of households have at least one impregnated mosquito net
- 7% of children under 5 are sleeping under an impregnated mosquito net
- 33% of children under 5 have a fever and are being treated with anti-malarial drugs
Malaria is passed from person to person when a mosquito releases the malaria parasite at the end of it's feeding - by injecting a sealant to clog the blood of the feeding site. There are two types of mosquito nets - untreated and impregnated. By using an untreated net, the sleeper is still protected from many mosquitoes - but, if they are sleeping against the wall of the net, the mosquito can still bite through the net. The same is true with the impregnated mosquito nets - however, during the feeding, the mosquito is irritated by the medication in the net and will leave before finished, consequently not injecting the sealant containing the malaria parasite. As well, the mosquito will later die from the medication, aiding in the population reduction of mosquitoes.
Given the vast population of mosquitoes during rainy season, it could seem like any progress is fighting a losing battle . . . however, this year, my team jumped headlong into the battle and already we are seeing the results!
In previous years, we have done mosquito net training and distribution in a few villages where we work, following a Community Health Education model of ministry, through which health agents are trained in one village. In turn, they teach their fellow villagers about the health topics. This year, we moved to the next level . . . the health agents going beyond their village borders to take the training to surrounding villages - along with nets we provided for distribution.
Health Agents practicing the lesson - skits to relay practical information:
- how to prepare their net for use
- how to care for their net
- hanging the sides up in the daytime so as not to allow animals inside and thus creating holes
- how to use their net - tucking the sides in under the mattress or bed
- how to keep their hut yard free from standing water in which the mosquitoes can lay eggs
My teammates and I went out for three weeks running to review the material from last year and help them practice the skits.
Then, they headed off to work! We tagged along to the first village - Basaara: Heading off - the Teppe health agents in a line of motorcycles!
(oops - you just never know where tree stumps are hidden on new roads!)
We finally arrived in Basaara - a new village we had never been before - and the villagers started gathering for the teaching lesson:
Ok - well I am not a villager, but I am holding one of the youngest village members to benefit from the net distribution. This little girl and her twin brother are in the highest risk group for malaria and it was nice know that they will be sleeping under a mosquito net.
This gentleman ended up being something like a town-crier - he called everyone to attention, sat in a chair to the side of 'centre stage' and repeated the stories in a loud voice for all to hear!
Aissa and Fati - two ladies from Teppe doing a skit on how to keep your hut surroundings free of mosquito-attracting elements:
A group of the young men demonstrating how to hang your mosquito net. Then Moussa demonstrates how to crawl in and tuck it under the mat for a peaceful night of sleep without the irritation of mosquitoes biting all night. Moussa's eyes are closed as he pretends to be peacefully sleeping - and in the bottom right corner you can see his friend sneaking his hand into the net to tease-fully poke him!
Adamou, from Teppe, telling the story of Noah:
Distribution time - The Teppe health agents decided to do the teaching portion before the distribution to ensure that everyone stuck around for the important information. Now that they know how to use and care for their nets - they all receive their nets. They have previously indicated how many beds they have to ensure we have enough to distribute. The Teppe agents call out people's names and one by one they come up and pay for their nets (100 francs/net - approximately 25¢ Cdn). Some head home right away, but most stick around to watch the proceedings and chat with their friends.
We know in the villages there are many explanations or theories for how one might catch malaria - none of which include being infected from the bite of a mosquito. As we watch the villagers head home with their new nets
we pray that that which they have heard regarding mosquitoes and malaria will be taken to heart - that the nets will be used.
Aside from Basaara, the Teppe health agents distributed mosquito nets to 9 other villages in May and June - before the rains came and before the mosquitoes came. Just last week, a teammate had a chance to speak with the doctor in the regional health clinic which is situated in the heart of the 'radius' of villages which received nets. He reported that this year already is a bad year for malaria cases in the region - but that among villages where we distributed mosquito nets: "hardly anyone from those villages has come in with malaria". Praise the Lord!! 
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