In April 2021, the United States Peace Corps generously donated approximately 3,000 mosquito nets to our partners, Energy in Action, which were distributed by the Youth Public Health Ambassadors to families in the Lira district. Along with distributing the nets, the ambassadors gathered data from 512 households which had received net donations.
The survey instrument used was developed by GRIT lab volunteers based on a template provided by the US Peace Corps.
Of the 512 surveys collected on World Malaria Day, our analysis identified several disparities in net use. A majority of the families surveyed resided in temporary housing, which generally is more susceptible to mosquito infiltration. Additionally, nets were reported to be in poor condition in many households and the household heads reported difficulty in obtaining nets for their families. Many, particularly young children and pregnant women, indicated that sleeping under nets is uncomfortable and therefore are less inclined to consistently use their nets each night. Some households reported using their nets on their livestock rather than the intended purposes.
GRIT volunteers presented the results of the survey at multiple international conferences and are in the process of submitting a paper for peer review.