Malaria is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in South Sudan. Through mass distribution and promotion of long-lasting insecticidal nets HealthNet TPO is helping to prevent malaria, ensuring the most hard-to-reach communities stay protected.
Distribution of mosquito nets
Approximately 30% of deaths in hospitals are attributable to malaria in South Sudan. In an effort to reduce the scale of infections, the Republic of South Sudan adopted a policy of prevention through the mass distribution and promotion of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs).
HealthNet TPO has a grounded experience and expertise in managing LLINs distribution campaigns. In 2018, HealthNet TPO successfully distributed 510,593 LLINs in all the 10 Counties of Western Equatoria State. In 2020, we distributed a total of 660,800 LLINs to 8 Counties of Eastern Equatoria, benefitting around 278,000 households across the State, including in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
Our teams went door-to-door to distribute the bed nets and share information about their proper utilization, while ensuring that the risk of transmission and spread of Covid-19 was minimised. The nets were distributed for free and reached the most vulnerable population, primarily children under the age of five and pregnant women in rural communities.
Mary’s Story
“My name is Mary*, I live in Magwi county. I am a 32-year old single mother raising my 5 girls. I first heard about HealthNet TPO on the Voice of Eastern Equatoria radio in Torit when they made announcements about a mass mosquito net distribution that was going to take place in the whole state. HealthNet TPO has come at the right time, as we are in need of mosquito nets. It has been a rainy season and the mosquitoes have been too many. We were very happy to receive the mosquito nets for free and it will really help us to prevent the spread of malaria.
One of my daughters is in the hospital now admitted because she is sick of malaria, with these nets now we can prevent malaria.
I have learnt a lot from the HealthNet TPO team that was moving around with the megaphones telling us about the dangers of malaria, most of us in the communities had normalised the sickness but more people kept getting sick, so it was amazing to hear about how to properly use the net and ways of preventing malaria at home. From today I will make sure I make my children sleep under the mosquito net and teach some of my neighbours how to properly use the nets.”
