The day we went to see our first clinic around the area of Mozambique is etched in my brain. The clinic itself was a one story , very rustic 3 room structure made of wood. The staff was very kind and very dedicated, but the building was not only missing screens on the windows, but some of the panes of glass where missing all together. We embarrassed the staff unduly when we asked them why there where no bed nets over the 4 or so hospital beds. It had not occurred to them to buy them because bed nets are very expensive relative to their other expenses and they simply could not afford them. And yet, malaria was one of the primary maladies they dealt with. The reality is this, when we went out into the village , we were able to visit several homes. These homes, where quaint and well kept wood structures with dirt floors, impeccably cleaned and ordered. And all the beds we saw were neatly made with bed nets dutifully pulled over a large number of those that belonged to the children. But the nets for the most part where full of holes. Some of which had been sewn, most of which had not been. For me it raised many serious questions about bed nets. They are expensive to buy, even for a medical clinic, and they are hard to maintain, I imagine especially around the very children they are meant to protect. It is so very hot in Mozambique and it can get dark as early as 6pm. When darkness falls the mosquitoes come out. How feasible is it really for children to stay in their beds under very hot bed nets? How long before those bed nets get holes? Would an American child be able to sit on their bed from 6pm until dawn the next day? Every day? Would there not be holes in the bed nets before long? How much time does a parent have to sew and re-sew those holes to the extent that a tiny mosquito cannot make its way through? What happens when a child needs to go to the bathroom?
Would an American child be able to stand this set up on a hot night with no air conditioning? This is what we are asking of an African child. This what some NGOs and other organizations are insisting is at least part (if not all) of the solution in fighting malaria. To be honest , it boggles my mind. I have to question this. Is this reasonable? What have I missed in the equation? I am doing a documentary on Malaria presently and though I consider myself a die-hard environmentalist in many ways, (see 3billionandcounting.com) I cannot help question how it is, that these countries do not feel comfortable using DDT for fear of repercussions from having their exports banned in countries like the US? How can we feel good about encouraging them to spray their walls with DDT while on the other hand we threaten their economy with boycotts?What motivates this kind of strategy towards developing countries on the part of civilized countries? These are the questions that frequently come to mind.
Helene Udy