MISUSE OF TREATED BED NETS

Malaria, caused by the female anopheles mosquito through bites, is ranked one of the top five diseases that claim lots of lives in Africa day in and day out.

Many governmental and non- governmental organizations, as part of their efforts to help prevent the spread of this deadly disease, spend a great deal of money on anti malaria activities such as the free distribution of treated bed nets.

But it is discouraging to note that despite the countless campaigns on radio, television, print, outdoor and other media, some people seem not to care about getting malaria and therefore misuse the mosquito nets that are distributed to them.

I happen to be in a community (exact location withheld) and below are the shots I stole to prove that indeed people misuse treated nets.

TREATED NET BEING USED  AS FENCE

 TREATED  BED NET BEING USED  AS FENCE 

If my sight and ability to count are accurate then the owner of this backyard farm is using not less than five mosquito nets to cover the plants from presumably domestic animals and maybe mosquitoes.

Even though this farmer might have found the nets on the refuse dump, the good conditions of the nets suggest the attitude of its previous owner towards Malaria and its prevention.

The question is; could these nets not have been passed on? 

Malaria is deadly and even though our climate sometimes makes it difficult   to sleep under treated nets, it is one of the less expensive yet highly efficient ways of preventing Malaria.

I have heard about other people who use mosquito nets for fishing, trapping domestic animals and other non- malaria prevention activities. If you are one of them, do not think I will not find you and steal a shot of you in the act. Even if I do not,  Miss Anopheles Mosquito will definitely find you.