• The Bed Net Study

• The "Easy Access to Bed Nets"  organization was founded by three MIRT students [Teshie Dotson (CBU), Crystal Ton (Univ. Memphis) and Brett Wainger (CBU, ’03)] during their summer 2003 research trip to Uganda.  They are seeking additional funding to establish the organization as a nonprofit.
• More information about the 15 Nov. 2003 Fundraiser: Easy Access to Bed Nets for Malaria Prevention in Uganda
• More information about the Bed Nets project and its funding. 
• Article in the 14 Nov. 2003 Commercial Appeal

• More MIRT Projects, information on how to apply, etc.

• MIRT Uganda Research Projects

• Donna Winters 2003 research "Malaria Prevention Strategy" Dr. Janet McCord, Uganda, Africa
• Kim Rivers, Jennifer Sykes, and Tanchica Terry 2003 research "A Mixed Methods Study of Health Utilization and Health Outcomes Among Ugandans Participating in Alternative Healthcare Financing" and "A Preliminary Report on Malaria prevention strategies in rural Uganda:  A pilot study of community perceptions"

 

The mission of Easy Access to Bed Nets is to educate villagers living in and around Ishaka, Uganda about malaria and malaria prevention methods, to promote insecticide treated bed net use and to provide Ugandans with an affordable plan for purchasing insecticide treated bed nets.  Insecticide treated nets are currently the best method for protecting people from malaria globally. Ultimately it is the goal of Easy Access to Bed Nets to help Ugandans produce and chemically treat bed nets in their own country.

These may sound like impossible tasks, but really they are not.  The basic mechanisms for purchasing and selling nets are already in place and working. Now E.A.B.N. is trying to improve the program by focusing on marketing and prepare for future growth by becoming a non-profit.

The money from this fundraiser will be used to establish Easy Access to Bed Nets as a non-profit, to create quality, laminated educational tools that will be used by health leaders in the area to educate villagers and promote bed net use and to provide small commissions for people selling nets. 

The fundraiser was a lock-up and party at Panchos Mexican Restaurant on the afternoon of Saturday 15 November 2003.  Volunteerrs were locked up in the restaurant’s jail cell (located next to the bar) for 15 minutes.   During the 15 minutes, they tried to raise a $100 bail by soliciting donations from people attending the lock-up and by calling anyone you like on a cell phone that is provided.

If you are interested in offering a financial donation, please contact me.

Thank you,

Brett Wainger,  bwainger@cbu.edu
Easy Access to Bednets for Malaria Prevention in Uganda (MSWord)

Payment information:
Payment information will be kept at the I.H.H.P. office.   The information will be organized on an excel spreadsheet.  The hard copies of payment information will be the copies of receipts for payment which will be kept in the receipt books.  When group leaders sign for nets, they will be responsible for organizing payment information for those nets, but information about the money owed to Easy Access to Bed Nets by the group leaders will be kept at the health plan.

Net Tracking and Storage: 10-20 nets will be kept at the health plan for sale.  Mr. Kakunta may also give 3 to 4 nets to each health plan group leader to sell in their villages. The rest of the nets will be stored in the hospital store.  Only requests signed by a health plan worker and the I.H.H.P. scheme manager will authorize the release of nets from the store.  All nets will be numbered and when they are sold, the net number, the name of the purchaser, and the purchasers signature will be recorded in a log book.

Payment collection and net distribution:  Each net will be distributed when the final payment is collected and the customer brings his or her receipts to the health plan office or the group leader.  The office worker will give a stamped receipt and record the payment in the excel spreadsheet.  The group leader will use a system of double receipts and carbons to keep track of payment information and provide purchasers with receipts.

Data Collection: When a person enters the office to purchase a bed net, we will give him or her an information form.  The form will ask questions such as family size, household location and where the client learned about Easy Access to Bed Nets.  The groups leaders also have these forms to give to purchasers.  Later, this information may be used to improve the program.

Payment Structuring: When a person enters the office to purchase a bed net in installments, the office worker will ask how many bed nets he or she wishes to purchase and how much and often her or she can afford to pay.  Based on this information, the office worker will devise a payment plan, generally trying to promote monthly payments.  The structure will be designed so that payment can be completed within one year.  However, there will be no penalties for late or missed payments, and customers may take as much as two years to pay. 

Financial Organization: E.A.B.N money will be stored at Centenary Rural Development Bank in Ishaka.  There are no fees for service or deposits or withdrawals provided the minimum balance of 5,000 Ugsh is maintained.  The account will be accessible by members of Easy Access to Bed Nets, Daniel Kakunta, and Dr. Victor Venezuela, and two signatories will be required to make withdrawals.  Kakunta has agreed to make deposits when payments arrive at the health plan office and to order 10 nets for 80,000 Ugsh when the account reaches 90,000 Ugsh.  Financial management will be left in the hands of Kakunta  when Brett, Teshie and Crystal are out of country. 

Fraud Protection: Kakunta will keep payments in the bed net cash box before depositing the money in the bank once a week.  Before making the deposit, he will add the totals given on receipts since the previous deposit and make sure it equals the money in the cash box.  This way he can make sure that no money is being taken and no receipts are being given without payment. 
We will also require that purchasers bring all their receipts when they come to purchase their nets.  This will insure that a person does not make the final payment on another person’s net.  Then the purchaser will sign the net log to show they received their net.
Kakunta will be sending monthly reports with the bank account balance and the net inventory.

Repurchasing: When the account balance reaches 90,000 Ugsh, Kakunta will purchase an additional 10 nets for 80,000 Ugsh. 

Promotion:  Information about how Easy Access to Bed Nets works will be given to health plan groups.  Additional trips to groups are planned solely for promotion both by Easy Access to Bed Nets members and by the health plan and hospital staff. 

Informational Brochure: We developed a brochure that will describe clearly how the Easy Access to Bed Nets program works.   We will distribute the brochure at the groups.  We will improve this brochure in the United States

Malaria Information Brochure: Easy Access to Bed Nets created an informational pamphlet discussing malaria, malaria prevention, and correct bed net usage. We will distribute this pamphlet with the nets.  In the United States, we will improve the document, possibly by adding color, illustration and lamination.

Bednets project and its funding (MSWord). 

This project was conducted in Kisiizi and Ishaka.  MIRT students investigated malaria bed net education of health care financing clients to determine the overall effectiveness of this education.  This will be done to find out if and how malaria bed net education, use of insecticide treated bed nets, and disease prevention strategies may help reduce health care costs.  This was a comparative study – those who use bed nets (and/or other malaria prevention strategies) and those who do not.

The study was conducted almost exclusively in rural South-Western Uganda, in Kisiizi (with Microcare) and Ishaka (with Ishaka Hospital Health Plan).