Smarter purchasing of bednets could save $630M over 5 years, report suggests

"A new report from the Results for Development Institute," released to coincide with World Malaria Day on Wednesday, "suggests there are ways to save and reinvest badly needed funds, by getting better value for money out of the bednets distributed in endemic areas," Guardian Health Editor Sarah Boseley reports in her "Global Health Blog." "Over the next five years, say author Kanika Bahl and colleagues, smarter purchasing strategies could save an amazing $630 million," the blog writes, adding, "It could be used to buy 150 million more bednets, protecting 300 million people from the mosquitoes that spread the disease."

"Until now, in the rush to get enough long-lasting insecticide-impregnated bednets to enough people, there has been no careful thinking about the sorts of nets that work best," the blog continues. "Reducing that fragmentation of the market to include only those nets offering the best value for money would save about $290 million in itself, says the report, without removing choice," the blog notes. "The emphasis needs to shift from cost alone to price and performance" so "manufacturers that produce a more effective or longer-lasting net could command a better price, allowing them to recoup their investment," according to the blog (4/25).