Why doesn DFID support the free distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets?
Actually, we do. We supply free ITNs for the under-5s, pregnant women and for the very poorest and most vulnerable in some countries. For the period 2005-2007, we will spend over £13m on providing free ITNs in Africa alone, and in Mozambique we will invest more than £8m over the next 5 years to distribute nets to pregnant women and newborn babies. But one size doesn’t fit all. The Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Strategic Framework for insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) recognises that since there aren’t the funds to provide free ITNs ‘for everyone forever’; some form of prioritisation is necessary (at least in the short-term). So the public sector focus is on these most vulnerable groups and those affected by disaster. And there are other reasons why free nets for all isn’t sustainable.
