Persistence of Untreated Bed Nets in the Retail Market in Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Survey

TL;DR

This study found that untreated mosquito nets dominate the retail market in Tanzania, crowding out insecticide-treated nets despite public efforts.

Contribution

The study provides updated evidence on the persistence of untreated nets and challenges in promoting legitimate ITNs in Tanzania.

Findings

Untreated nets made up 99% of observed products and sales in the surveyed markets.

Legitimate insecticide-treated nets were largely absent from retail markets.

Leaked nets from free distributions were minimal and not a significant market force.

Abstract

The private sector in Tanzania has played an essential role in improving coverage and access to mosquito nets. This follow-up study assessed the overall market share for untreated and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and misleading or counterfeit ITN products in commercial markets. This study was conducted from March to April 2024 in ten regions in Tanzania. The study used mixed methods: (1) a quantitative survey among sampled outlets supported by photographic documentation of all net products and (2) key informant interviews of retailers and wholesalers. We assessed the relationship between market share and population access using ANOVA and Pearson correlation. No counterfeit or misleading nets were found, consistent with results from 2017, 2021, and 2022 surveys. Untreated nets dominated all markets, comprising 99% of all products observed and 99% of estimated net sales 3 months before the survey. Legitimate ITNs were crowded out from the studied markets. Leaked nets from free distributions were present but extremely limited (1%) and at their lowest level of the survey rounds. Untreated nets were more expensive than leaked ITNs for both regular- and queen-size nets. Despite ongoing efforts, increasing the share of legitimate ITNs remains a significant challenge in a context of large-scale public sector distributions.

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