LLINs for every family 20.02.2013

Most families living near hilly forests where malaria is prevalent earn their living from woodcutting. This often requires them to spend their nights in the forests, sleeping without mosquito nets, which places them at risk of malaria infection. Their quality of life has been significantly improved for they no longer suffer from malaria due to the malaria prevention and control services provided with support from the Global Fund. Photo: John Rae/The Global Fund

"Despite the fact that not a single household in the village had LLINs when we started our malaria project, now every household in the village owns LLINs. It is indeed a significant achievement by MCC Malaria Project supported by the Global Fund.", said Dr Khin Maung Win, Project Manager.

During October 2012, Myanmar Council of Churches (MCC), made a joint monitoring and supervision visit with PR to Kanpetlet and Mindat townships located in mountainous Chin State. The MCC Malaria Project is being implemented in these townships since 2011 with the support of the Global Fund.

MCC's Community-based Malaria Prevention and Control Project includes distribution of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) free of charge to beneficiaries, impregnation of bed nets with insecticides and diagnosis and treatment of malaria. The joint monitoring team consisted of Dr Khin Maung Win, Project Manager, Ms. Hnin Lae Yi Khaing, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of MCC Malaria Project and staff from PR.

Once they arrived in Kanpetlet Township, the team visited two villages. Village Health Volunteers (VHV) reported that not a single household in the village owned a bed net at the time MCC started the malaria project with support of the Global Fund. Eager to see whether the LLINs distributed free of charge to the beneficiaries were actually put to use to prevent the mosquito bites that can cause malaria, the monitoring team randomly selected three village households in Makyaukarr village with the support of the VHVs and visited them.

After travelling along the hilly village path with much climbing up and down through the undergrowth, the team finally arrived at the village to find that the LLINs were actually in use in all three randomly-selected houses.

This findings and subsequent interviews with the villagers fully supported the VHV LLINs distribution record, which showed that LLINs coverage in the village was 100 percent.

Dr Khin Maung Win expressed his satisfaction with this finding. "Despite the fact that not a single household in the village had LLINs when we started our malaria project, now every household in the village owns LLINs. Most importantly, the villagers are actually sleeping under them, which prevents them from getting malaria. We feel fulfilled and confident that our malaria project has brought a great benefit to the needy communities living in the remote, hard-to-reach areas of Myanmar. It is indeed a significant achievement by MCC Malaria Project supported by the Global Fund. "