Another “in case you missed it” entry, this time about Tanzanian A to Z’s long-lasting malaria net enterprise mentioned in blog posts and activity capsules past. The nets – as well as the underlying for-profit business model – are featured in a nice column by the Guardian’s Jon Snow. Excerpts:

The source of malarial relief is the A to Z plastics factory in Arusha. The revolutionary net is being produced here on a truly dramatic scale. The net is made of extruded resin sold at market price by Exxon Mobil. Hardly at the forefront of altruistic repute, Exxon too is a member of the global partnership to "Roll Back Malaria". The money it makes from the Saudi-produced resin, Exxon gives back to Unicef to buy more nets, to try to create a mosquito net market. Sumitomo hasn't given money. Instead it has made a free technology transfer of the secret ingredient that gives the net its long-life properties... Anuj Shah, who runs the company, is no do-gooder [either]. He's in it for profit and is determined that net making in Africa is a seriously commercial activity. Currently producing 3m of these nets a year, he expects his new factory, which is under construction nearby, to start producing 7m a year by April. After that he hopes to expand to 20m - a tenth of Africa's entire need.

Upshot: here’s a good example of the hybrid model at work to address a basic public health (and Millennium Development Goal) concern: malaria. I’ll resist the urge to tell A to Z to sell the nets, since they’re using a combination of donor and private sector logic. Hey – whatever works is fine with me. If only the private sector would come out and blast the corrupt practices hampering such projects...

Via PSD Blog