Abstract
BackgroundOver the past decade, food insecurity, connected to erratic rains and reduced agricultural outputs, has plagued Malawi. Many households are turning to fishing to seek additional sources of income and food. There is anecdotal evidence that insecticide-treated net (ITN) recipients in Malawi are using their nets for purposes other than sleeping, such as for fishing, protecting crops, and displaying merchandise, among others. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore the factors leading residents of waterside communities in Malawi to use ITNs for fishing.MethodsThis study used qualitative and observational methods. Five waterside communities were identified, two each in the North, Central and Southern regions, representing a mix of lakeside and riverside settings. Fifteen focus group discussions were conducted with a total of 146 participants, including men, women, and community leaders.ResultsRespondents stated that they knew that ITNs should be slept under to protect from malaria. Respondents discussed financial hardships their communities were facing due to droughts, poverty, food scarcity, unemployment, and devaluation of the Malawian currency, the kwacha. Many described selling household goods, including clothes and cooking pots, to generate short-term income for their family. Though no respondents admitted to selling an ITN themselves, the practice was commonly known. Participants said that food shortages were forcing them to make difficult choices. Fishing with ITNs was reported to be common in the study sites, as a response to food insecurity, and was widely understood to be harmful over the longer term. Respondents felt that it was everyone’s responsibility to cut down on this practice, but that efforts to confiscate or burn nets and boats of those caught fishing with ITNs were counter-productive since boats, especially, were a required resource for a productive livelihood. Respondents feared that if the health workers, government officials and donors continued to see ITNs being misused for fishing, the distribution of free ITNs would end, which would worsen malaria in their communities.ConclusionsFaced with economic hardships and food security crises, participants reported being forced to look for alternative incomes to feed their families. This sometimes included selling or repurposing their belongings, including ITNs, for income. This issue is complex and will require a community-led multisectoral response to preserve health, fisheries, and livelihoods.
Highlights
IntroductionFood insecurity, connected to erratic rains and reduced agricultural outputs, has plagued Malawi
Over the past decade, food insecurity, connected to erratic rains and reduced agricultural outputs, has plagued Malawi
Many participants described malaria as a problem in their community and acknowledged that insecticide-treated net (ITN) were either used in the past or are currently being used in a variety of ways, including fishing. This acknowledgement validated the perception that ITN misuse for fishing is occurring in Lake Malawi, it did not allow the researchers to make any reasonable estimate of the magnitude of the misuse
Summary
Food insecurity, connected to erratic rains and reduced agricultural outputs, has plagued Malawi. There is anecdotal evidence that insecticide-treated net (ITN) recipients in Malawi are using their nets for purposes other than sleeping, such as for fishing, protecting crops, and displaying merchandise, among others. Given the economy and food insecurity, households are searching for additional sources of income to purchase the staples they once cultivated. Given the inherent need to feed oneself and one’s family, it is understandable that many are turning to fishing to provide either or both a source of income and food to stave off hunger in their households and malnutrition in their children
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