In Tanzania, where malaria is the biggest killer and pregnant women and small children are particularly at risk, the challenge of bringing insecticide- treated nets to poor, remote rural areas is a considerable one. This article describes how microenterprises and small businesses are providing a cost-effective retail service to the public sector, receiving their usual commercial mark-up as payment for this service. Vouchers are the vehicle of exchange throughout the system, enabling target clients to acquire nets, and providing the means for tracking the impact and outreach of the programme. As results are being monitored, there is evidence that not only is the public-private partnership a success, but that the commercial distribution of unsubsidized insecticide-treated nets has been strengthened and widened.

With the support of one of its foundation partners, PERLS, MEDA has produced a nine-minute video on the project and lessons learned, which can be viewed on the MEDA website at http://www.meda.org/pml/itn_video.html. The project was also featured on a BBC news programme, Hands On; the segment ‘Reality Bites’ can be viewed at http://www.handsontv.info/series6/programme_5.html. http://www.meda.org/pml/itn_video.html http://www.handsontv.info/series6/programme_5.html

African Heads of State and Government (2000) The Abuja Declaration on Roll- Back Malaria in Africa, document viewed on the internet 29 June 2006, http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/id/malaria/publications/docs/abuja.pdf http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/id/malaria/publications/docs/abuja.pdf

Binka F., Kubaje A., Adjuik M., Williams L., Lengeler C., Maude G.H, (1996) ‘Impact of permethrin impregnated bednets on child mortality in Kassena-Nankana district, Ghana: a randomized controlled trial’ Trop. Med. Int. Health 1996;1:147-54.

Centers for Disease Control (2006) Fighting Malaria in Tanzania, document viewed on CDC website 28 June 2006, http://www.cdc.gov/Malaria/features/tanzania_pres_initiative.htm http://www.cdc.gov/Malaria/features/tanzania_pres_initiative.htm

Gagel, D. (2005) ‘How to develop sustainable business development services (BDS) without radicalism?’ Ethiopia Business Development Services Network, Addis Ababa.

Goldmark, L., Botelho, C., and Orozco, P. (2001) ‘Summary paper: key issues in the design, implementation and monitoring of voucher training programs’, Development Alternatives Inc., Washington, DC.

Goldmark, L. (2003) ‘Market development versus resource transfer: lessons from voucher programmes in Latin America’, paper presented at the ILO BDS Seminar, Turin, September 2003.

Gupta, R. and Gupta, R. (2005) ‘Malaria millennium development goals, treatment costs and generics’, Current Science, Vol. 89 No.5, p. 730.

Hallberg, K. (2006) ‘A retrospective assessment of the Kenya Voucher Training Programme’, Small Enterprise Development Journal, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 56-67.

Killian, A., Bell, A., Meek, S., Root, G., Mubiru, J., Komakech, J., and Collins, A. (2005) ‘Retention and use of free insecticide-treated nets by pregnant women in the displaced communities in northern Uganda’, paper presented at the Fourth Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Pan-African Malaria Conference, Yaounde, Cameroon, November, 2005.

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Ifakara Health Research and Development Center (2005) ‘Monitoring and Evaluation of the Tanzanian National Voucher Scheme’, report presented November 2005.

Magesa, S., Lengeler, C., deSavigny, D., Miller, J., Njau, R., Kramer, K., Kitua, A. and Mwita, A. (2005) ‘Creating an “enabling environment” for taking insecticide-treated nets to national scale: the Tanzanian experience,’ Malaria Journal, Vol. 4 No. 34, pp. 1-12.

MEDA (2006) ‘Tanzania National Voucher Scheme Hati Punguzo Quarter 7 Report January 1 - March 31, 2006, National Malaria Control Programme’, report prepared for the Ministry of Health of Tanzania, May 2006.

PSI (2005a) A Tanzanian Public/Private Partnership to Prevent Malaria, Country Brief, document viewed on PSI website July 4, 2006 http://www.psi.org/resources/pubs/Tanzania-ITN-program.pdf http://www.psi.org/resources/pubs/Tanzania-ITN-program.pdf

PSI (2005b), ‘PSI Quarterly Report (final quarter 2005) to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Government of Tanzania’, December 2005, Dar es Salaam.

United Nations Development Programme (2006) Human Development Report 2005, United Nations Development Programme, New York.

With the support of one of its foundation partners, PERLS, MEDA has produced a nine-minute video on the project and lessons learned, which can be viewed on the MEDA website at http://www.meda.org/pml/itn_video.html. The project was also featured on a BBC news programme, Hands On; the segment ‘Reality Bites’ can be viewed at http://www.handsontv.info/series6/programme_5.html. http://www.meda.org/pml/itn_video.html http://www.handsontv.info/series6/programme_5.html

African Heads of State and Government (2000) The Abuja Declaration on Roll- Back Malaria in Africa, document viewed on the internet 29 June 2006, http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/id/malaria/publications/docs/abuja.pdf http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/id/malaria/publications/docs/abuja.pdf

Binka F., Kubaje A., Adjuik M., Williams L., Lengeler C., Maude G.H, (1996) ‘Impact of permethrin impregnated bednets on child mortality in Kassena-Nankana district, Ghana: a randomized controlled trial’ Trop. Med. Int. Health 1996;1:147-54.

Centers for Disease Control (2006) Fighting Malaria in Tanzania, document viewed on CDC website 28 June 2006, http://www.cdc.gov/Malaria/features/tanzania_pres_initiative.htm http://www.cdc.gov/Malaria/features/tanzania_pres_initiative.htm

Gagel, D. (2005) ‘How to develop sustainable business development services (BDS) without radicalism?’ Ethiopia Business Development Services Network, Addis Ababa.

Goldmark, L., Botelho, C., and Orozco, P. (2001) ‘Summary paper: key issues in the design, implementation and monitoring of voucher training programs’, Development Alternatives Inc., Washington, DC.

Goldmark, L. (2003) ‘Market development versus resource transfer: lessons from voucher programmes in Latin America’, paper presented at the ILO BDS Seminar, Turin, September 2003.

Gupta, R. and Gupta, R. (2005) ‘Malaria millennium development goals, treatment costs and generics’, Current Science, Vol. 89 No.5, p. 730.

Hallberg, K. (2006) ‘A retrospective assessment of the Kenya Voucher Training Programme’, Small Enterprise Development Journal, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 56-67.

Killian, A., Bell, A., Meek, S., Root, G., Mubiru, J., Komakech, J., and Collins, A. (2005) ‘Retention and use of free insecticide-treated nets by pregnant women in the displaced communities in northern Uganda’, paper presented at the Fourth Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Pan-African Malaria Conference, Yaounde, Cameroon, November, 2005.

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Ifakara Health Research and Development Center (2005) ‘Monitoring and Evaluation of the Tanzanian National Voucher Scheme’, report presented November 2005.

Magesa, S., Lengeler, C., deSavigny, D., Miller, J., Njau, R., Kramer, K., Kitua, A. and Mwita, A. (2005) ‘Creating an “enabling environment” for taking insecticide-treated nets to national scale: the Tanzanian experience,’ Malaria Journal, Vol. 4 No. 34, pp. 1-12.

MEDA (2006) ‘Tanzania National Voucher Scheme Hati Punguzo Quarter 7 Report January 1 - March 31, 2006, National Malaria Control Programme’, report prepared for the Ministry of Health of Tanzania, May 2006.

PSI (2005a) A Tanzanian Public/Private Partnership to Prevent Malaria, Country Brief, document viewed on PSI website July 4, 2006 http://www.psi.org/resources/pubs/Tanzania-ITN-program.pdf http://www.psi.org/resources/pubs/Tanzania-ITN-program.pdf

PSI (2005b), ‘PSI Quarterly Report (final quarter 2005) to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Government of Tanzania’, December 2005, Dar es Salaam.

United Nations Development Programme (2006) Human Development Report 2005, United Nations Development Programme, New York.

With the support of one of its foundation partners, PERLS, MEDA has produced a nine-minute video on the project and lessons learned, which can be viewed on the MEDA website at http://www.meda.org/pml/itn_video.html. The project was also featured on a BBC news programme, Hands On; the segment ‘Reality Bites’ can be viewed at http://www.handsontv.info/series6/programme_5.html. http://www.meda.org/pml/itn_video.html http://www.handsontv.info/series6/programme_5.html

African Heads of State and Government (2000) The Abuja Declaration on Roll- Back Malaria in Africa, document viewed on the internet 29 June 2006, http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/id/malaria/publications/docs/abuja.pdf http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/id/malaria/publications/docs/abuja.pdf

Binka F., Kubaje A., Adjuik M., Williams L., Lengeler C., Maude G.H, (1996) ‘Impact of permethrin impregnated bednets on child mortality in Kassena-Nankana district, Ghana: a randomized controlled trial’ Trop. Med. Int. Health 1996;1:147-54.

Centers for Disease Control (2006) Fighting Malaria in Tanzania, document viewed on CDC website 28 June 2006, http://www.cdc.gov/Malaria/features/tanzania_pres_initiative.htm http://www.cdc.gov/Malaria/features/tanzania_pres_initiative.htm

Gagel, D. (2005) ‘How to develop sustainable business development services (BDS) without radicalism?’ Ethiopia Business Development Services Network, Addis Ababa.

Goldmark, L., Botelho, C., and Orozco, P. (2001) ‘Summary paper: key issues in the design, implementation and monitoring of voucher training programs’, Development Alternatives Inc., Washington, DC.

Goldmark, L. (2003) ‘Market development versus resource transfer: lessons from voucher programmes in Latin America’, paper presented at the ILO BDS Seminar, Turin, September 2003.

Gupta, R. and Gupta, R. (2005) ‘Malaria millennium development goals, treatment costs and generics’, Current Science, Vol. 89 No.5, p. 730.

Hallberg, K. (2006) ‘A retrospective assessment of the Kenya Voucher Training Programme’, Small Enterprise Development Journal, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 56-67.

Killian, A., Bell, A., Meek, S., Root, G., Mubiru, J., Komakech, J., and Collins, A. (2005) ‘Retention and use of free insecticide-treated nets by pregnant women in the displaced communities in northern Uganda’, paper presented at the Fourth Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Pan-African Malaria Conference, Yaounde, Cameroon, November, 2005.

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Ifakara Health Research and Development Center (2005) ‘Monitoring and Evaluation of the Tanzanian National Voucher Scheme’, report presented November 2005.

Magesa, S., Lengeler, C., deSavigny, D., Miller, J., Njau, R., Kramer, K., Kitua, A. and Mwita, A. (2005) ‘Creating an “enabling environment” for taking insecticide-treated nets to national scale: the Tanzanian experience,’ Malaria Journal, Vol. 4 No. 34, pp. 1-12.

MEDA (2006) ‘Tanzania National Voucher Scheme Hati Punguzo Quarter 7 Report January 1 - March 31, 2006, National Malaria Control Programme’, report prepared for the Ministry of Health of Tanzania, May 2006.

PSI (2005a) A Tanzanian Public/Private Partnership to Prevent Malaria, Country Brief, document viewed on PSI website July 4, 2006 http://www.psi.org/resources/pubs/Tanzania-ITN-program.pdf http://www.psi.org/resources/pubs/Tanzania-ITN-program.pdf

PSI (2005b), ‘PSI Quarterly Report (final quarter 2005) to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Government of Tanzania’, December 2005, Dar es Salaam.

United Nations Development Programme (2006) Human Development Report 2005, United Nations Development Programme, New York.

With the support of one of its foundation partners, PERLS, MEDA has produced a nine-minute video on the project and lessons learned, which can be viewed on the MEDA website at http://www.meda.org/pml/itn_video.html. The project was also featured on a BBC news programme, Hands On; the segment ‘Reality Bites’ can be viewed at http://www.handsontv.info/series6/programme_5.html. http://www.meda.org/pml/itn_video.html http://www.handsontv.info/series6/programme_5.html

African Heads of State and Government (2000) The Abuja Declaration on Roll- Back Malaria in Africa, document viewed on the internet 29 June 2006, http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/id/malaria/publications/docs/abuja.pdf http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/id/malaria/publications/docs/abuja.pdf

Binka F., Kubaje A., Adjuik M., Williams L., Lengeler C., Maude G.H, (1996) ‘Impact of permethrin impregnated bednets on child mortality in Kassena-Nankana district, Ghana: a randomized controlled trial’ Trop. Med. Int. Health 1996;1:147-54.

Centers for Disease Control (2006) Fighting Malaria in Tanzania, document viewed on CDC website 28 June 2006, http://www.cdc.gov/Malaria/features/tanzania_pres_initiative.htm http://www.cdc.gov/Malaria/features/tanzania_pres_initiative.htm

Gagel, D. (2005) ‘How to develop sustainable business development services (BDS) without radicalism?’ Ethiopia Business Development Services Network, Addis Ababa.

Goldmark, L., Botelho, C., and Orozco, P. (2001) ‘Summary paper: key issues in the design, implementation and monitoring of voucher training programs’, Development Alternatives Inc., Washington, DC.

Goldmark, L. (2003) ‘Market development versus resource transfer: lessons from voucher programmes in Latin America’, paper presented at the ILO BDS Seminar, Turin, September 2003.

Gupta, R. and Gupta, R. (2005) ‘Malaria millennium development goals, treatment costs and generics’, Current Science, Vol. 89 No.5, p. 730.

Hallberg, K. (2006) ‘A retrospective assessment of the Kenya Voucher Training Programme’, Small Enterprise Development Journal, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 56-67.

Killian, A., Bell, A., Meek, S., Root, G., Mubiru, J., Komakech, J., and Collins, A. (2005) ‘Retention and use of free insecticide-treated nets by pregnant women in the displaced communities in northern Uganda’, paper presented at the Fourth Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Pan-African Malaria Conference, Yaounde, Cameroon, November, 2005.

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Ifakara Health Research and Development Center (2005) ‘Monitoring and Evaluation of the Tanzanian National Voucher Scheme’, report presented November 2005.

Magesa, S., Lengeler, C., deSavigny, D., Miller, J., Njau, R., Kramer, K., Kitua, A. and Mwita, A. (2005) ‘Creating an “enabling environment” for taking insecticide-treated nets to national scale: the Tanzanian experience,’ Malaria Journal, Vol. 4 No. 34, pp. 1-12.

MEDA (2006) ‘Tanzania National Voucher Scheme Hati Punguzo Quarter 7 Report January 1 - March 31, 2006, National Malaria Control Programme’, report prepared for the Ministry of Health of Tanzania, May 2006.

PSI (2005a) A Tanzanian Public/Private Partnership to Prevent Malaria, Country Brief, document viewed on PSI website July 4, 2006 http://www.psi.org/resources/pubs/Tanzania-ITN-program.pdf http://www.psi.org/resources/pubs/Tanzania-ITN-program.pdf

PSI (2005b), ‘PSI Quarterly Report (final quarter 2005) to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Government of Tanzania’, December 2005, Dar es Salaam.

United Nations Development Programme (2006) Human Development Report 2005, United Nations Development Programme, New York.