Past Projects » DFID Health Sector Reform Early Start Project, Malaria Insecticide-Treated Bed Nets, Nigeria

2002 – 2004

Futures Group implemented the insecticide treated bed net (ITN) component of the Nigeria Health Sector Reform programme, funded by the U.K. Department for International Development. The overall goal of the ITN programme was to reduce mortality rates in pregnant women and in children under five years old by raising awareness of the threats of malaria, encouraging behaviour change, and increasing the demand for and use of insecticides to treat bed nets.

To meet these goals and ensure sustainability once project funding has ceased—rather than the traditional social marketing approach of promoting one particular brand and subsidizing the price—Futures Group organized promotional “road shows,” in which all manufacturers could participate. Manufacturers brokered deals between net makers and insecticide companies and helped form an ITN trade association that lobbied the government to encourage the commercial market. This approach used donor funds to support and strengthen the marketing efforts of competing manufacturers of insecticides.

Futures Group’s activities attracted strong interest, investment, and commitment from the business sector to develop branded ITN products and establish sound distribution networks. Businesses started to invest new private money into production, distribution, and retailing. This resulted in a strong, sustainable market and increased business confidence. The competition generated drove down the price of ITN kits, created wider choices for consumers, and encouraged distributors to be more assertive in their own production and marketing strategies.

By understanding what motivates the private sector, Futures Group strengthened the existing commercial market for bed nets. The results included improved quality and choice for customers and—most important—improved protection against malaria infection for Nigerian people.