5.9m children to get bednets after $15m investment
Mrs Esther Kithia from Machakos covers herself with a treated mosquito net during an anti-malaria campaign in Nairobi. Kenya imports many bednets from Tanzania. Picture: File
Tanzania’s main manufacturer of mosquito nets will produce 30 million units by the end of this year after completing a $15 million expansion programme.
Nethealth, a joint venture between Japan’s Sumitomo Chemicals and Tanzania’s A to Z Textile, manufacturers Olyset nets under licence from Sumitomo, Japan.
The expansion will also help the company grow its exports.
“We are expanding the factory to meet the demands of the more than 20 countries in Africa that we export mosquito nets to, and beyond, besides the local market,” said A to Z and Vector Health International chief executive officer Anuj Shah.
The countries that Nethealth exports mosquito nets to include Mozambique, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Angola and Sudan. Others are Benin, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Nigeria and Italy.
The company employs more than 6,000 workers — 25 per cent men and 75 per cent women.
“The expansion will lead to 3,000 more jobs,” said Mr Shah.
Mr Shah said the company had won a tender to supply free nets in Tanzania to all children below five years.
“The project will be sponsored by the World Health Organisation, Unicef, United States President’s Malaria Initiative and USAid.
“It is expected to cost $122 million and will benefit 5.9 million children,” he said.
Distribution of free nets will start in the coastal regions of Lindi and Mtwara, followed by Kagera and other regions. Another bigger programme will provide mosquito nets to every living space in the country soon.
“More than 14.6 million houses and living spaces will be provided with Olyset nets in the door-to-door campaign,” said Mr Shah. Treated nets are crucial in the fight against malaria.
Olyset Net is the only WHO-recommended long lasting insecticide net manufactured in Africa.
Production in Africa began in 2003 when Sumitomo Chemical provided a royalty-free technology licence to A to Z Textile Mills in Arusha, Tanzania. Production in Tanzania was expanded in 2008 when Sumitomo Chemical officially entered into a 50:50 joint venture with A to Z.
Starting this year, global production capacity will exceed 40 million nets a year, with some 50 per cent manufactured in Africa.
Recently, Sumitomo Chemical unveiled plans to expand production into Nigeria, the African country with the greatest malaria burden.
Malaria is the number one killer in Africa, with 90 per cent of deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.
A child dies from the disease every 30 seconds on the continent.
The World Health Organisation says more than 300 million people worldwide live with parasites that cause malaria.
One million of these die from the disease.
The other areas most affected include South America, India and Asia.
