Pride of Ownership and a Promise of Hope
BioVision and FAWCO Tackle Malaria
Paula Daeppen
You can see it in their faces, in their eyes and smiles – the children hold a very special gift in their bright blue bags. The long lasting insecticide treated bed nets (LLITNs) purchased by FAWCO for the two BioVision pilot projects in Malindi and Nyabondo, Kenya, offer a promise of hope; hope that these children will survive well past their 5th birthdays; hope that they will be able to attend school without being infected by the malaria parasite which would impede their physical and cognitive development; and the hope that the vicious cycle of poverty and disease that is the result of malaria can be broken.
FAWCO and its member organizations are helping to make this gift and the hope possible. Raising over $100,000 last year with its NetWorks malaria prevention initiative, the distribution and installation of the first 19,000 FAWCO purchased nets is well on its way and since nets alone cannot win the war against malaria and poverty, our nets are supplied with the necessary support and education to fight the preventable disease that is the greatest killer of children in today’s world.
With the Swiss foundation BioVision, FAWCO has found a partner that offers know-how, resources and a commitment to malaria eradication that protects the human and natural environment. The BioVision projects are based on self-help and sustainability and go to the root of the problem with environmental management. The elimination of mosquito breeding sites, ecologically friendly pest control methods, the use of the natural pesticides, bed nets, along with education, local empowerment and the involvement of women are key to the success of the projects.
“Mosquito scouts” are laypersons, often women, selected from the community to undergo training in mosquito control. Each mosquito scout is responsible for a cell of 1 km2 in which to monitor breeding sites, assist in larvae control and act as a malaria point person for the community members within the cell. The scouts learn mosquito biology, sampling and monitoring techniques for both larvae and adult mosquitoes and mosquito control options. They then educate the population on malaria prevention, are in charge of bed net distribution logistics, and act as feedback collectors for scientists.
The mosquito scouts work with the various community based organizations, which are then responsible for bed net distribution, offering the all important instruction on the proper care and use of nets. The names of those receiving the nets are registered and follow-up checks on the proper utilization and the status of the nets is conducted. With BioVision training, these local groups develop their own locally appropriate information material and educational programs and organize all types of activities. Mosquito training days are fun and well attended events that bring out entire communities for games, girls football, workshops and educational programs. The community groups also initiate income generating activities which provide source money to finance future community planned actions in mosquito control. With this type of local capacity building, the community will eventually be able to take over the implementation and financing of their own malaria prevention.
FAWCO supports these two BioVision projects with pride and confidence and we are very pleased that our commitment to malaria prevention and BioVision is continuing with the FAWCO Foundation’s new Global Concerns Fund. Members of FAWCO clubs all over the world are now taking part in “Dine-ins for Malaria” as well as other fund raising initiatives in support of these projects. We are happy to pass on this gift of hope and believe that at least in Nyabondo and Malindi, where the concerted efforts of FAWCO and BioVision are already saving lives, there is hope for a life without malaria, and that the children will have a chance for a healthy and productive future.
Bed Nets from FAWCO
Insecticide treated bed nets are accepted as one of the most cost-effective malaria prevention measures, since the female Anopheles mosquito that transmits malaria, bites only at night. The future lies in the use of the new Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLITNs). These nets are treated with the insecticide Pyrethroide and provide lasting protection for three to five years with good care. Mosquitoes, looking for a blood meal and attracted by the carbon dioxide excreted by a sleeping person, receive a lethal dose of the insecticide when they come in contact with the net. The nets provided by FAWCO, manufactured by Vestergaard Frandsen, have the approval of the World Health Organization. They are made of strong polyester which does not require insecticide re-treatment, are dirt repellant and non-flammable. The mesh size is larger than that of standard nets, providing better air flow which is so important in tropical temperatures.
Bti from FAWCO
BioVision’s environmental water management aims to eliminate the anopheles breeding sites. Where the standing water cannot be eliminated, it is treated with shavings from the neem tree or Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti). Bti is an environmentally-friendly natural pesticide of high specificity and efficacy that kills only the water born larval stages of the Anopheles mosquitoes. With its first disbursement from the Global Concerns Fund, FAWCO purchased 3 motorized sprayers and enough Bti tablets for spraying 50km2 with the necessary manpower support. Bti is an environmentally-friendly, natural pesticide that kills only the water born larval stages of the Anopheles mosquito.