Mosquito-net usage in Kampong Chhnang
My results on mosquito-net usage indicate that, despite the fact that many households have nets; they are not always used effectively or correctly. In which case, it is not a matter of simply distributing nets but ensuring that households understand how to properly care for them and know the lifespan of an effective net. Most women I spoke with told me that they estimated that the insecticide-treated net (ITN), distributed by International Relief and Development or the Ministry of Health, would last about 5 years. The lifespan of an Olyset ITN (the brand IRD and the Ministry of Health distributed) is estimated to last 2-3 years. When I asked them how long they had been using their market-bought untreated nets, the answer was invariably “I don’t remember—a long time”. One woman stated she had been using her net for more than 10 years.
Net usage data: Every family, except one, had a net previously before the ITNs had been distributed (97%). Ten of the 43 (23%) families I spoke with were not using the insecticide-treated net. Most were using their older market-bought net. Three of the households mentioned that the ITN was in the rice field. When asked why it was there, one responded that her husband used it during the day when he napped in the field. Another did not have a clear answer to that question. One ITN had never been taken out of the package and the woman stated she would not use it until she needed it, in other words, until her market-bought net failed. One husband I spoke with, stated that the ITN he and his wife received was a dud—there was no insecticide on it, he claimed. Therefore he was not using the ITN.
Of the 43 households I interviewed, 20% were using their market-bought nets as their primary bed net, 80% were using the ITNs given to them. The average household had two nets: one previously bought from the market and one ITN.
Net usage data: Every family, except one, had a net previously before the ITNs had been distributed (97%). Ten of the 43 (23%) families I spoke with were not using the insecticide-treated net. Most were using their older market-bought net. Three of the households mentioned that the ITN was in the rice field. When asked why it was there, one responded that her husband used it during the day when he napped in the field. Another did not have a clear answer to that question. One ITN had never been taken out of the package and the woman stated she would not use it until she needed it, in other words, until her market-bought net failed. One husband I spoke with, stated that the ITN he and his wife received was a dud—there was no insecticide on it, he claimed. Therefore he was not using the ITN.
Of the 43 households I interviewed, 20% were using their market-bought nets as their primary bed net, 80% were using the ITNs given to them. The average household had two nets: one previously bought from the market and one ITN.