Planning to support the commercial sector

A strategy designed to increase access to nets across Nigeria

Planning to support the commercial sector

SuNMaP’s commercial sector strategy is designed to increase access to nets across Nigeria through commercial sector (retail market) support.This support has evolved in response to changes in the LLIN market in Nigeria.Prior to SuNMaP, the nets that were sold were insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and the major source of ITNs was the commercial sector. A small amount of social marketing of ITNs was carried out between 2002 and 2004. From 2002, NetMark – a USAID-funded project aimed at reducing countries’ malaria burden through increasing the commercial supply and public demand for ITNs – supported four, and then seven local distributors and net manufacturers, with the reduction of taxes or tariffs of ITNs. The project also began to work on free ITN distribution. Subsequently, the Nigeria National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), and the country’s Roll Back Malaria (RBM) partnership, began a state by state household LLIN distribution campaign. SuNMaP was involved in this distribution campaign from 2009 onwards.There were both pros and cons to the LLIN campaign into which the commercial sector would have to take into account. For instance, mass distribution campaigns have standardised nets, which may not be suitable or useful for all. The large numbers of nets distributed has also not been sufficient to cover the entire population.But the distribution of LLINs meant that ITNs were less in demand, particularly as they were no longer recommended by the World Health Organization. As opposed to ITNs, LLINs are WHOPES-accredited (meaning that the World Health Organization approved their use for malaria control). As a result of this shrinking demand, the commercial sector shifted its focus from retail to institutional sales, primarily targeting government agencies and RBM partners.

Preparing to distribute LLINs for a mass campaign in Kano state Photo: William Daniels

As a result of shrinking demand of ITNs, the commercial sector shifted its focus from retail to institutional sales

From mosquito nets to long lasting insecticide treated nets

Before the SuNMaP programme, regular mosquito nets were used to prevent and control malaria. Many of these nets were made by local textile businesses.
The mosquito nets were later treated with insecticide (ITNs), which last for six months before re-treatment is needed. The nets were slightly modernised, for example, it had better stitching and plastic wrapping. They were initially packaged separately and later bundled together.
LLINs are the latest technology, which impregnates insecticide into the fibres. In-country manufacturers of ITNs became the distributors of LLINs manufactured internationally, selling to institutions and avoiding the retail market for fast turn around of investment and because of perceived reduction in sales due to free LLINs distributed through campaigns.

SuNMaP’s programme design recognised the importance of the commercial sector in developing its distribution network for LLINs. The project aimed to directly support the existing commercial infrastructure for LLINs in the Nigerian market and to help expand the capacity of the sector to meet the additional and replacement nets not covered by the public sector campaigns.SunMaP’s original strategy (2008) for the commercial sector was based on price support for distributors to encourage them to stay in the retail market as this increases access to LLINs more than institutional sales.
The strategy was revised in 2012 using the principles of Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P). M4P looks at why markets, as they are currently organised, do not work for the poor, and how these markets might work more positively. An M4P project facilitates mutually beneficial arrangements between different parts of the market so that the poor can benefit from the improved functioning of market systems.SuNMaP’s strategy focuses on a ‘total market approach’. This is a coordinated approach that aims to cover the health needs of an entire country by incorporating the different contributions of all sectors – public, commercial, and non-government organisations – and looks at individuals’ ability and willingness to pay for goods or services. As addressed in M4P, an individuals’ involvement in the market is intended to increase both their incomes and access to LLINs. The total market approach supports sustainability and value for money given that the commercial sector can maintain the high coverage achieved through campaigns.SuNMaP expects that once the effect of the free distribution campaign has reduced, the LLIN market in Nigeria is likely to grow significantly. It estimates that institutional sales of around eight million LLINs per year and retail sales of between four and eight million nets per year will result. This would mean an approximate 10-fold increase in business for the LLIN market.

SuNMaP recognised the importance of the commercial sector in developing its distribution network for LLINs