After years of free distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets – the most effective weapon against malaria – families now find it difficult to purchase a new mosquito net when needed. This situation is in large part due to a lack of financial incentives for the private sector to participate in malaria prevention, resulting in a dependency on donor-provided free nets.
The goal of the Ghana-based Private Sector Malaria Prevention project was to get bed nets on the shelves in the country’s shops and markets. The project was also trying to get the private sector to provide bed nets to their employees, pitching employers on the cost-effectiveness – fewer sick days, higher productivity – of keeping workers safe from malaria.
Between 2016 and 2019, the program:
- Created a campaign that, in part, urged companies to be “Malaria Safe,” and invest in malaria prevention in the workplace and community.
- Conducted a market analysis report looking at consumer preferences, willingness to pay, market size and more to be shared with international bed net manufacturers whose products could be sold in Ghana.
- Worked with the private sector to create a new prototype net for consumers.
- Created generic advertising reminding people of the benefits of sleeping under treated nets each night, hoping to boost demand for the fledgling net market.
