Stimulating Private Sector Malaria Control

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Preliminary evidence from ongoing research provides strong indications that protecting farmers from malaria would be profitable for outgrowing agribusinesses in sub-Saharan Africa. The study team invests in experimental research to investigate this conjecture in more detail.

Detailed Description
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The study evaluates whether the sourcing of insecticide-treated nets and their distribution to smallholder farmers for free would be a profitable investment for a cotton outgrowing agribusiness in Zambia. The study therefore carries out a major net distribution through the existing distribution channels of a cotton outgrowing agribusiness, evaluates the impact of this distribution on smallholder cotton yields, and values the profitability implications for the outgrowing agribusiness.

Official Title
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Stimulating Private Sector Malaria Control: The Outgrower Opportunity

Conditions
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Malaria

Intervention / Treatment
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* Device: Insecticide-treated net (BASF Incerceptor)


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Farmers who contracted with the participating cotton outgrowing company in the 2010-2011 season

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 70 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Treatment: Insecticide-treated net<br>Smallholder farmers in the treatment group are informed that they won a raffle, and receive a free insecticide-treated net | Device: Insecticide-treated net (BASF Incerceptor)<br>* One per farmer, once during the 2010-2011 season<br>|
| No Intervention: Control<br>Smallholder farmers in the control group are informed that they had a chance to win an insecticide-treated mosquito net in a raffle, but did not end up winning | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cotton Yields | Farmer's cotton yields (kg delivered per household), as defined in the routine data collection system of the participating cotton outgrowing agribusiness | 2010-2011 season (up to 1 year) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Contract Defaults | Defaults on input loans, as defined in the routine data collection system of the participating cotton outgrowing agribusiness. Odds ratios calculated in accordance with NIH guidance: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2938757/ | 2010-2011 season (up to 1 year) | 
| Increase in Maize Productivity | Increase in self-reported maize productivity (yield on maize plots divided by size of maize plots), collected through validation survey; calculated as maize productivity 2010-11 minus maize productivity 2009-10, measured in bags (ordinarily 50kg bags; however, kg measure not specified) | 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons (up to 2 years) | 
| Self-reported Malaria Prevalence | Over two weeks before interview, collected through validation survey. Odds ratio calculated in accordance with NIH guidance http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2938757/ | 2010-2011 season (up to 1 year) |