Angola: whatever it takes to save a child – bed nets against malaria

‘Bed nets smell weird...they have something in them that kills the bugs and keeps us safe from being stung by mosquitoes’. Sani, a young girl, shows off a new bed net received free of charge from her health centre.

Sani lives in Malanje, a beautiful lush green town in Angola with a peaceful and laid back atmosphere.  

However, in Malanje, as everywhere else in the country, Angolans face killer diseases, and chief among these is malaria.

Malaria is the largest single cause of death in all age groups, and children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable. To protect against this deadly disease, UNICEF and the Ministry of Health are providing free bed nets.

Arminda Jose, 33, pregnant and a proud mother of five, explains how she has slept under a bed net every night since her health centre started offering free nets.

Married to a policeman, Arminda works at the local market selling frozen fish. She likes to get out of the house and meet with the other women who sell produce at the market – a chance to catch up on what is going on in the community.

Arminda and her children sleep under a net every night, and they have not had malaria for as long as she recalls. Her daughter Sani is well briefed on what bed nets are for and how they work.

‘Bed nets smell weird. We just got a new one yesterday and we have to leave it for 24 hours before we hang it over the bed. The nets have a funny smell because they have something in them that kills the bugs and keeps us safe from being stung by mosquitoes’, says Sani.

Arminda smiles at her daughter’s comment and says she has been happy with the care and counseling given at her health centre.

‘At the health centre, we have received bed nets, and they are free. The nurse explained to us how to hang them and care for them, so now I can protect myself and my kids against malaria,’ says Ms Jose. 

Now with a dedicated approach to control the disease by UNICEF and partner Angola’s Ministry of Health, there is hope that all families will be able to protect themselves through the simple and low-cost intervention of using insecticide-treated bed nets, to ward off malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

Nets aresaving the lives of Angolans all over the country. From the port of Luanda and all the way out to families living in rural areas, bed nets are making real, tangible differences in the health and well-being of Angolan families.

Want to know how you can help protect children from malaria? Buy a mosquito net from our range of Inspired Gifts!!