Published: March 29, 2011, 12:00 am
Long lasting insecticidal mosquito nets (LLINs) are effective in preventing malaria, but only when they are used consistently, by everyone in the household, all year long, every night.
"Trois Toutes" community volunteer participates in the campaign census.
This is the driving premise of the Trois Toutes communication campaign in Senegal which seeks to go beyond protecting only the most vulnerable populations and focuses on the need for consistent LLIN use. The Trois Toutes are the “Three All’s”: Toute la famille, Toute l’annee, Toutes les nuits (The whole family, Every night, All year long).
The Trois Toutes campaign was developed by the Center for Communication Programs’ NetWorks project, part of a five-year USAID-funded global program focusing on malaria prevention with LLINs. NetWorks promotes the use of nets through behavior change communication, efficient distribution of nets through mass and routine channels and uses research to improve policy both at country and global level.
Trois Toutes campaign messages emphasize the improved financial, physical and medical security and increased health sustainability that comes from the effective use of LLINs: mothers benefit from the comfort of knowing their children are sleeping safely and are protected from disease-carrying mosquito bites; families benefit by saving money that would be spent on expensive medicines when family members are sick with malaria; and communities benefit from having stronger and more productive community members.
During a live broadcast on a community radio station during the first phase of the distribution, a recipient of ten nets was asked how he felt about saving 50,000 cfa (the cost of the nets). “Fifty thousand CFA?” he exclaimed “I am saving more like 500,000 cfa from not going to the clinic or buying the medicines!”
The success of Trois Toutes can, in part, be attributed to the structure of the campaign. The campaign is built around an overarching communication strategy, but each region developed its own communication plan in coordination with local groups and with the consideration of local customs and resources. Message dissemination has taken place through the use of local radio programs, home visits by community volunteers in Trois Toutes branded clothing and religious and political leaders. In addition, a nation-wide television campaign is being planned and will be rolled out regionally.
The Trois Toutes campaign accompanies Senegal’s first universal coverage LLIN distribution. Since June 2010, NetWorks has assisted the National Malaria Control Program and the Ministry of Health to distribute over 1.2 million nets to households in six regions. The goal of the campaign is to cover every sleeping space in Senegal with an LLIN.
Furthermore, the Trois Toutes brand and logo has been embraced by Senegal’s National Malaria Control Program, and was adopted by the Ministers’ Yearly Caravan in September 2010 which focuses on building awareness about preventing common rainy-season illnesses such as diarrhea and malaria.
Learn more about the Trois Toutes campaign and NetWorks project [1].
