Community Perceptions on Different Delivery Mechanisms for Insecticide- Treated Bed Nets in Rural Burkina Faso

This study aims to describe the community perceptions regarding an insecticide-treated bed net (ITN) programme in Burkina Faso, where communities were randomised to either ITN social marketing combined with free ITN distribution through antenatal care services (intervention A) or ITN social marketing only (intervention B).

For this descriptive qualitative study data were collected through a total of 20 focus group discussions (FGD), 10 FGD with women and men respectively. FGD were conducted in 8 purposefully selected villages of the study area and in Nouna town.

The ITN free distribution was well known to and highly appreciated in the intervention area A. Awareness of the ITN social marketing distribution was however low in both intervention areas, except in the urban part (Nouna town) of intervention area B. Women were reported to be able to purchase ITN_s independent of their husbands. Poverty and frequent unavailability of ITN for purchase were the main barriers for ITN ownership. ITN information was mainly received through personal communication with health workers and through radio messages.

While the free ITN distribution was highly appreciated by the population, the social marketing approach alone appeared not be sufficient to reach the goal of high ITN coverage, mainly due to prevailing poverty and the insufficient availability of ITN for purchase.