Title: Introduction
Course: Communicable Diseases Part 1 - Ethiopia (Full)

In Study Sessions 9 and 10 you learned about two important malaria prevention methods targeted at malaria vectors: killing mosquito larvae as they develop in water, and using IRS to kill adult mosquitoes that enter houses to bite people. In this study session, you will learn about another malaria prevention strategy directed against adult mosquitoes, which is widely used in malaria risk areas: the use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). An ITN is a mosquito net impregnated with insecticide that repels, disables or kills mosquitoes coming into contact with it.

An important part of your responsibility is distributing ITNs to the community and maintaining high coverage through replacement of damaged nets, sustained coverage of people at risk, educating households on how to hang the nets, how to use them properly and consistently, and how to repair them when damaged. In this study session you will learn the objectives of using ITNs for malaria prevention, and about methods of effective net distribution, replacing old nets and monitoring their use. It will help you understand your role in the ITN programme, including what you need to do to make sure people in your community benefit fully from using ITNs.

The skill and knowledge you obtain from this study session about ITNs as a malaria prevention strategy will help you ensure that people in your community get the maximum benefits from the nets distributed. Like other malaria control and prevention tools, ITNs protect people from malaria and save lives.