WHAT ARE THE BARIERS TO NET USE BEYOND HOUSEHOLD?

PEER INFLUENCE

Our daily interactions with friends, family, and neighbors play a significant role in deciding whether to use mosquito nets in our homes. During my recent visit to my parents' house in the countryside, I brought new mosquito nets for my mother. However, when her friend visited, she was surprised to see my mother using a mosquito net at her age. She mentioned that she stopped using it ever since her children became adults.

COMMUNITY LEVEL INFLUENCE

Community-level social norms and beliefs directly influence household decisions on net use. Key among them is the belief that pregnant women should not use mosquito nets due to suffocation or breathing difficulties while under the mosquito net.? Some individuals may experience physical reactions due to insecticide exposure when the mosquito net is not aerated before initial use.

One factor influencing mosquito net ownership and use is the association between masculinity and manhood. There is a common misconception in some communities that only weak men use mosquito nets and that they are primarily for women and children. One commonly accepted belief in most communities is that good things don't come for free.

STRUCTURAL LEVEL BARRIERS

Despite the widespread distribution of mosquito nets across the country, gender-related issues continue to limit access to nets, especially in static distribution sites such as health facilities.

I witnessed the distribution of mosquito nets in a health facility in my home district in Northern Uganda. I observed only women and children lining up to receive mosquito nets. I was curious to observe the behavior of a man who had come to pick up his mosquito net. He was upset and complaining about not being attended to and allowed to line up with children and mothers.