Helping save lives with mosquito nets: A mother’s story.

Marceline Nguizaima, 38, lost three babies to malaria between 2008 and 2009, each before their first birthday. She still cries when she thinks about them, which is often.

“Children should be with their parents, they shouldn’t die,” she says, “they should be taken care of.”

Her husband died suddenly last year, when she was four months pregnant with her last child. Since then, Marceline has learned a lot about malaria and mosquitoes thanks to a UNICEF-supported malaria awareness campaign. Marceline received a bednet to protect her family during the campaign in which UNICEF distributed over 1 million long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets (LLITNs).

Working closely with communities, the government and partner organizations, UNICEF distributed at least one mosquito net to each of the country’s 896,000 households throughout 2010. In preparation to this mass distribution, UNICEF helped train community agents who went door-to-door to teach people how to hang and use the bednets.

“I sleep with my baby under the mosquito net every night,” says Marceline. As a result, 9-month-old Esther has not had malaria. 



As part of the country’s strategy to reduce the impact of malaria on children, pregnant women and families in general, the regular use of insecticide treated bednets combined with early diagnosis and treatment has been a priority in UNICEF’s malaria response. However, an additional 2 million nets are required to cover the needs of each household, which is estimated at three nets per family.