Vector control to prevent mosquito-borne diseases
UNICEF’s supplies reduce the transmission of malaria and other deadly diseases spread by mosquitoes, protecting children, mothers and communities.
For decades, UNICEF has led efforts to enhance the availability of and access to affordable and effective vector control products. These supplies are key to protecting children from malaria, dengue, Zika virus and an array of deadly diseases transmitted by mosquitos.
Accounting for 17 per cent of all infectious illnesses globally, mosquito-borne diseases are on the rise in many parts of the world. Exacerbated by climate change, conflicts and displacements, these diseases are an increasing threat to children’s health.
Sustainable packaging
With tens of millions of insecticide-treated nets delivered each year, UNICEF has accelerated its work to reduce plastic waste from their packaging as part of its sustainability commitment. Explore our weekly updated dashboard showing the results in savings and single-use plastic avoided with bulk packing.
Insecticide-treated nets
Sleeping under an insecticide-treated net is one of the best ways to avoid contracting malaria, a deadly disease that kills over 1,200 children every single day globally.
UNICEF has been procuring and delivering insecticide-treated nets since 2000. Unlike untreated nets that only prevent mosquitoes from entering a living or sleeping space, UNICEF-supplied nets are infused with a WHO-recommended insecticide that repels, kills or sterilizes mosquitoes coming into contact with the net.
When widely used within a community, these nets not only protect children and adults who sleep under them, they can also reduce malaria transmission by decreasing the number and lifespan of mosquitoes that spread malaria and other diseases. This helps protect all community members, even those not using a net.
The insecticide effects of UNICEF-supplied nets can last for up to three years or 20 washes, providing long-lasting protection for children and their families.
Strengthening protection in emergencies
When disaster strikes, poor water, hygiene and sanitation, coupled with inadequate housing conditions, exacerbate mosquito breeding. Stagnant water left behind by cyclones and floods, for instance, provides fertile grounds for mosquitoes, which increases the risks of disease outbreaks. Insecticide-treated nets are therefore essential to protecting children, pregnant women and families from mosquito-borne diseases in humanitarian settings, and are one of the critical supplies that UNICEF deploys in its rapid emergency response.
UNICEF also explores novel vector control tools to strengthen disease protection for children and their families in malaria-prone humanitarian settings, including emanators. Also known as spatial repellents, emanators disperse volatile chemicals into the air, driving mosquitoes away from the treated space and/or inhibiting their biting and feeding habits on humans.
In humanitarian emergencies, families often do not have immediate access to insecticide-treated nets which are bulky and more difficult to deliver, especially when normal transport routes are inaccessible. Spatial repellents, on the other hand, are lightweight and compact. They can be shipped and deployed more rapidly, serving as a stop-gap measure to protect children and their families until the nets arrive for more effective and long-lasting protection.
