Malaria is a disease caused by the blood parasite Plasmodium, which is transmitted by mosquitoes. Malaria, from the Medieval Italian words mala aria or “bad air,” causes 350 million to 500 million illnesses per year and kills more than one million people – mostly children under the age of five. Malaria is particularly devastating in Africa, where it is a leading killer of children. In fact, there are 10 new cases of malaria every second. Every 30 seconds, a child in Africa dies from a malaria infection.
Malaria is also the number one killer of refugees in Africa. Nothing But Nets™ is working closely with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to send urgently-needed insecticide-treated bed nets to more than one million refugees in 15 countries.
Malaria is also the number one killer of refugees in Africa. Nothing But Nets™ is working closely with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to send urgently-needed insecticide-treated bed nets to more than one million refugees in 15 countries.
About Bed Nets
Studies show that use of long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets can reduce transmission as much as 90 percent in areas with high coverage rates.
Bed nets prevent malaria transmission by creating a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night, when the vast majority of transmissions occur. Malaria-carrying mosquitoes generally bite between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. A bed net is typically hung above the center of a bed or sleeping space so that it completely covers the sleeping person. One bed net can safely last a family for about four years, thanks to a long-lasting insecticide woven into the net fabric.
A net treated with insecticide offers about twice the protection of an untreated bed net and can reduce the number of mosquitoes that enter the house and inhabit the surrounding areas. Currently, bed nets are treated with pyrethroid insecticides. These insecticides have very low levels of toxicity to humans, but are highly toxic to insects.
The nets purchased and distributed by Nothing But Nets™ are long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets. They have been approved by the UN World Health Organization (WHO) for safety, quality, and efficacy. These standards ensure that the children and families sleeping under these bed nets won’t get sick from the insecticide woven into the fabric of the net. There are three companies that are currently producing these WHO-approved nets:
- Vestergaard-Frandsen, a European company, produces a net called “Permanet”
- Sumitomo Chemical, a Japanese company, produces a net called “Olyset Net”
- BASF, a German company, produces a net called “Interceptor”
Where Are Bed Nets Produced?
Many long-lasting insecticide-treated net manufacturers produce them outside of Africa. In an effort to stimulate local economies and employment, manufacturers have begun efforts to bring the net business to the areas that need them most. One good example is Sumitomo Chemical Company. In 2003, Sumitomo granted a Tanzanian-based manufacturing company, A to Z Textiles, the right to manufacture the Olyset Net in their country. The 50/50 venture created more than 4,000 jobs and is now producing 20 million Olyset Nets per year – approximately 50 percent of global Olyset Net production. Sumitomo Chemical has also established a net sewing operation in Ethiopia. Operated by the Ethiopian textiles business Woinu Curtain Trade, the facility produces nearly three million nets per year and employs more than 300 people. Sumitomo Chemical recently committed to establishing a Nigeria-based factory.
Partnership for a Better Future
JCI Members have been working since 2003 to advance the UN Millennium Development Goals (UN MDGs) in communities around the world. In 2008, JCI created JCI Nothing But Nets in partnership with the UN Foundation to provide JCI Members the opportunity to take action against malaria through education and fundraising in their communities.
JCI and the UN Foundation continue to coordinate joint initiatives and work together for the eradication of malaria in Africa.
Our Partners and Sponsors
UN Foundation
The UN Foundation was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic USD $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and also works to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. The UN Foundation is a public charity.
Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots campaign to raise awareness and funding to combat malaria, one of the largest killers of children in Africa.
http://www.jci.cc/nothingbutnets/
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