Our project involved the social marketing of insecticide treated bednets to prevent malaria. Currently, the best way for locals to prevent malaria is sleeping under a treated net. Prophylactic drugs are very expensive and have many side effects, thereby limiting their long-term use. Because the Anopheles mosquito, which transmits the malaria parasite, is only active at night, a bednet provides good protection if treated with insecticide. Untreated nets may still allow mosquitoes to bite if there is a hole in the net or if a limb touches the sides.
Malaria prevention is important as it is very common on the coast of East Africa.
In one school we asked the children how many of them had had the disease. In a class of sixty all of the children raised their hands. In fact, everyone we knew had had malaria so many times they couldn't even count them. And in spite of being as common as the flu it can be quite dangerous. Cerebral malaria can kill quickly and the mortality is high for pregnant women and children under five.