Story from the Field
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone - In support of Sierra Leone’s national effort to combat
malaria, NetsforLife®joined forces with the United Methodist Committee on
Relief (UMCOR) to hang nearly 330,000 long-lasting insecticide-treated nets
in the highly-populated southern district of Bo. Over the course of two
weeks, 3,000 trained volunteers installed nets in homes and helped families
learn how to use them to prevent malaria.
This accelerated initiative, which launched nationally in November 2011,
aimed to achieve universal coverage (defined as one net for every two
people) in net distribution, with an 80% usage rate to be maintained over
time through the engagement of local leadership and follow-up by
volunteers. International organizations including the World Health
Organization, the Red Cross of Sierra Leone and UNICEF are working in
partnership with the country’s Ministry of Health, local chiefs and religious
leaders to carry out this program.
The NetsforLife®/ UMCOR distribution coincided with the national Maternal and Child Health Week, in order to
emphasize the importance of net usage for pregnant women and children under the age of five, who are
particularly vulnerable to malaria. Because malnutrition worsens the impact of malaria, Vitamin A supplements
and Albendazole (a de-worming treatment) were also administered to children under five.
“The partnership with UMCOR and the Methodists in Sierra Leone is an example of what can be achieved when
two denominations work together to solve a common problem,” stated Shaun Walsh, Executive Director of
NetsforLife®. “With a shared vision of serving the people of Sierra Leone, the Methodist and Anglican teams
combined skills, strengths and resources, traveling the road together in dealing with local challenges, overcoming
obstacles and learning valuable lessons.”
This is the second time NetsforLife® has partnered with UMCOR to amplify the work of both Methodist and
Anglican efforts on the ground in Africa. The first joint distribution launched last April on World Malaria Day in the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Building on the foundation of these two joint efforts, NetsforLife® will
continue to pursue partnerships with UMCOR, other faith groups and local civil society to maximize and leverage
resources to ensure the greatest impact.
“I am thrilled by the impact of the UMCOR- NetsforLife®
partnership so far, and energized by the possibilities that lie
ahead for our organizations and the churches and
communities we serve,” said Shannon Trilli, the Director of
UMCOR’s Malaria Initiative.
The success of NetsforLife® is a direct result of its
partnerships with a network of faith-based organizations,
especially Anglican churches, working on the ground in
Africa. As an integral part of local communities, churches
have helped the program distribute over 11 million nets,
educate 27 million people about malaria prevention, as well
as recruit and train over 81,000 malaria control agents.
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