As malaria cases are increasing amidst global funding uncertainty, ITNs should be optimally deployed to reach all people in need. Strengthening ITN distribution provides important options to consider for improving and sustaining ITN access.
Programme experience has demonstrated that increasing and sustaining ITN access will decrease malaria incidence. According to the 2024 WHO World Malaria Report, in 2023, 73 per cent of households in sub-Saharan Africa had access to at least one ITN, an increase from five per cent in 2000 and 68 per cent in 2015. Malaria funding has not increased in the face of population growth, while ITN commodity costs have increased to address pyrethroid resistance, and variable ITN durability affects ITN retention.
To support national malaria programmes and partners in increasing and sustaining ITN access, the Alliance for Malaria Prevention (AMP) has developed key operational guidance and toolkits.
To achieve maximum impact in vector control and reduce malaria transmission, WHO’s Guiding principles for prioritizing malaria interventions in resource-constrained country contexts advise that vector control strategies include the most effective interventions at an optimal scale and frequency.
National malaria programmes are thus encouraged to align with WHO Guidelines for malaria as well as malaria donor recommendations, review operational and financial data, and consider the best mix of distribution channels to maintain ITN access in their settings, noting that appropriate distribution channels will likely include sub-national tailoring.
The WHO Guidelines for malaria and malaria donors recommend consideration of ITN continuous distribution. For more information, consult:
KEY GUIDANCE
Building on evidence and country experience, the guidance documents provide a framework to assess channel capacity, identify operational strengths and limitations, and design distribution strategies that maintain equitable and sustained ITN access.
ITN Channel Selection
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ITN Quantification
The ITN quantification site presents the number of ITNs required to achieve and maintain targeted levels of ITN access with different combinations of distribution channels and estimates of ITN longevity.
ITN Allocation Strategies
The purpose of the ITN Allocation Strategies website is to support the strategy design of ITN mass distribution campaigns. A key decision in mass campaign planning is the choice of ITN allocation strategy.
AMP TOOLKITS
Once the ITN distribution channel has been selected, national malaria programmes and implementing partners can draw on AMP toolkits, which provide comprehensive operational guidance tailored to each channel.
School-based distribution (SBD)
Operational guidance for school-based ITN distribution, as well as a suite of adaptable tools and country resources that can be downloaded and adapted according to specific contexts.
Community-based distribution
in progress
Mass campaign distribution
Operational guidance to support the mass distribution and use of insecticide-treated nets.
Routine distribution
in progress