Combating mosquito-borne diseases around the world
As temperatures around the world continue to rise, so does the risk of contracting mosquito-borne diseases. Although these small, six-legged insects may appear harmless, they are responsible for several million deaths and hundreds of millions of cases every year from malaria, dengue, and yellow fever. These mosquito-borne diseases threaten the health and well-being of people in many areas of the globe.
SHOPS Plus is working to protect people from mosquito-borne diseases in Haiti, Senegal, and Madagascar through information sharing, behavior change interventions, and increasing access to long lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
Protecting pregnant women in Haiti
SHOPS Plus worked to reduce negative birth outcomes in Haiti by increasing the accessibility and use of family planning products and services to avoid unintended pregnancies, particularly while the Zika virus is still a threat. The project promotes the use of mosquito repellent and condoms among couples and women of reproductive age across the country to prevent transmission of the virus.
The team focused on interpersonal communications through multiple channels, including health educators, mass media spots and broadcasts, a digital health platform, and printed materials for beneficiaries and outreach workers. The messages used for these campaign were developed based on regional best practices and Haitian-led solutions, including ones relating to pregnancy prevention with family planning, transmission prevention with condoms, bite prevention, self-diagnosis and referral, and antenatal and perinatal care.
SHOPS Plus trained 2,669 health educators and 597 health providers and, working with partners, reached 28,902 individuals with messages through health educators and 130,209 individuals through digital messaging.
Learn more about our Zika work.
Increasing access and use of mosquito nets in Senegal
SHOPS Plus is working with local partner ADEMAS, the social marketing organization, to tackle malaria through the distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets. The distribution of the nets began in 2016 as part of an initiative to reduce the high number of malaria cases and malaria-related deaths. Since then, ADEMAS has distributed 147,821 nets, which is estimated to have covered 2,463,683 households across the country. This included the distribution of 650 nets to Fûts Metaliques et Plastiques de l’Afrique de l’Ouest employees through a corporate partnership between this organization and ADEMAS.
The local team led an assessment of the market for malaria products and services to identify opportunities to better meet demand in collaboration with stakeholders from the public and private sectors. Once finalized, the findings from the report will help inform future priorities of the National Malaria Control Program as well as the activities of SHOPS Plus, ADEMAS, and other stakeholders. Learn more.
Changing behavior through a mass distribution campaign in Madagascar
On August 4, SHOPS Plus, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Madagascar and the President's Malaria Initiative and Global Fund, launched a national distribution campaign for long-lasting insecticide-treated nets. The Minister of Public Health, Yoel Harinirina Rantomalala, presided over the event, which took place in the rural commune of Anosy Tsararafa.
As part of the campaign, the President's Malaria Initiative and Global Fund will distribute millions of nets before the rainy season begins so families can protect themselves from malaria-carrying mosquitos. SHOPS Plus, led by partner Population Services International (PSI) developed radio spots and will broadcast 37,558 of them before, during, and after the campaign, from July to November. The project also organized radio talk shows with local leaders in charge of malaria programs to sensitize the community on the campaign and the importance of using nets properly. The radio spots were translated into 11 dialects to make sure the messaging is accessible to all. PSI will continue to work with the National Malaria Control Program on the implementation of the national strategic plan, and disseminate behavior change communications materials that include malaria prevention and treatment messages. Learn more about our work in Madagascar.