Fighting Malaria -- Free Distribution of Bednets Best

A few months ago, a study appeared in PLOS Medicine showing that free distribution of bednets to prevent malaria in poor countries worked better than charging a small fee. The idea behind the latter program, sometimes called social marketing, is that poor people will place a greater value on and make greater use of the bednets if they have to pay something for them.

Responding to the study, the World Health Organization in mid-August officially endorsed free distribution of bednets to all poor people in malaria-endemic countries, a change from the prior policy which only gave them out free to children under five. The policy put the WHO at odds with the Bush administration, whose malaria initiative had focused on social marketing of nets.

Today's New York Times covered the growing success of the movement toward free bednet distribution, based on reporting by a Kenya-based stringer. The story included a quote from Sen. Tom Coburn, the Oklahoma Republican with close ties to the parts of the evangelical Christian movement that has made combating malaria part of its missionary work. He called free distribution "a great move" by the WHO. "We knew social marketing doesn't work."

The story, curiously, did not report if policy is shifting at the President's malaria intiative in response to the study and WHO directive. Here's a situation where the administration's free-market ideology is at odds with the position of its Christian fundamentalist base. It will be interesting to see if Christ and science win out over mammon.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post plays catchup with the Los Angeles Times in reporting on the DDT-breast cancer link, which also has implications for malaria control now that the pesticide is making a comeback. You can find a link to the original story here.