Diversity is the Secret of Kenya's Insecticide-Treated Bednet Program

A study published in The Lancet assessed whether or not the promotion of insecticide nets (ITNs) has led to improvements in child survival in Kenya. The study (“Effect of expanded insecticide-treated ITNs coverage on child survival in rural Kenya: a longitudinal study”) found that children who used ITNs were 44% less likely to die from malaria.

Veteran malaria control researchers Christian Lengeler and Don deSavigny published their opinions on the research, also in The Lancet. They state that the research shows that diverse strategies used to deliver ITNs to vulnerable populations — social marketing and free distribution — were complementary to each other and contributed to overall high coverage rates.

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