Policy & Advocacy

Overview

National policies have an important impact on malaria prevention with LLINs. How nets are made available and accessible to households and communities depends on whether - and how - a strategy combines mass distribution campaigns, routine distribution via health services, and additional sources of nets at the community level. National decision-makers need credible information and a supportive advocacy environment in order to establish policies for effective distribution and use. CCP has extensive experience in a number of African countries with advocating for effective malaria control policies through the Voices for a Malaria-free Future project.

Mass Campaigns and Continuous Distribution Policy

The NetWorks project has worked closely with the PNLP in Senegal l on the design and implementation of mass and continuous distribution systems, and with the NMCP in Nigeria on post-campaign evaluations that build the evidence base around integrated and stand-alone campaigns. NetWorks published an important paper on how to quantify the number of LLINs needed for mass campaign distribution. In addition, NetWorks has played a lead role in developing the Consensus Statement on Continuous Distribution from the Roll Back Malaria Vector Control Working Group's Continuous LLIN Distribution Systems Work Stream. This statement provides the rationale for countries to invest in developing long-term sustainable distribution channels to ensure that households have access to new and replacement nets once mass distributions have achieved scale-up.

In 2011 and 2012 NetWorks facilitated the writing and publication of a series of documents that will help guide strategic planning and implementation. Continuous distribution includes but is not limited to routine distribution via ANC and EPI; it can also include school and community based distributions that are ongoing in nature, in order to maintain coverage in post-campaign scenarios.

Resources

Kilian, A, et al. How many mosquito nets are needed to achieve universal coverage? Recommendations for the quantification and allocation of long lasting insecticidal nets for mass campaigns. Malaria Journal 2010, 9:330

Roll Back Malaria's Vector Control Working Group
VCWG Continuous LLIN Distribution Systems Work Stream
Consensus Statement on Continuous Distribution Systems for Insecticide Treated Nets | [French]
Short description of continuous distribution and the need for such systems in order to maintain universal coverage after scale-up 
LLIN Distribution in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Collation of Global Funding Commitments for 2011–16 | [French]

Review by Lucy Paintain of Global Fund Commitments to LLIN Distribution and implications for maintaining universal coverage 
Continuous Long-lasting Insecticidal Net Distributions: A Guide to Concepts and Planning | [French]

A guide to developing strategies for continuous distribution; parameters to consider, step by step worksheet, and planning interventions
Country-to-Country Guide for LLIN Keep-up | [French] 

A guide for countries implementing distribution through ANC and EPI; lessons learned and best practices.  Case Studies in Continuous Distribution - "Lessons in Brief" (french versions to be posted in the next few weeks)
Continuous LLIN Distribution Lessons in Brief No. 1 Making it Work: The Big Picture - Kenya 
Continuous LLIN Distribution Lessons in Brief No. 2 Making it Work: Integrated Supply and Supervision – Kenya
Continuous LLIN Distribution Lessons in Brief No. 3 Accountable Partnership: Singing from the Same Songbook & Knowing the Score – Malawi
Continuous LLIN Distribution Lessons in Brief No. 4 Logistics, Logistics, Logistics – Malawi
Continuous LLIN Distribution Lessons in Brief No. 5 The Tanzanian National Voucher Scheme (TNVS): Keeping up with 'Keep-up' - Tanzania

NetWorks also advocates for effective behavior change communication (BCC) programs as key elements for an effective malaria prevention strategy. Working with the Roll Back Malaria secretariat and through its working groups, with the President's Malaria Initiative, the Global Fund, and other agencies that implement behavior change communication interventions, NetWorks advocates for improved monitoring and evaluation of BCC programs. Advocacy is targeted to both planners at the national level and to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to ensure these important elements are addressed in national malaria strategies.