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Success Story
Fighting malaria as
insecticide spray
operators
Women Pioneer In Anti-Malaria Efforts
Photo: Research Triangle I.
Diane Sagbohan pioneers for women as
an insecticide spray operator combating
malaria in Benin.
Participation as spray
operators opens a new
social dimension for women
fighting malaria.
Diane Sagbohan is one of six women among the 265 trained
spray operators who volunteered to participate in the first
insecticide residential spray (IRS) campaign in Benin. Sagbohan
is native of Seme Kpodji, a community well-known for suffering
from high rates of malaria transmission and deadly illnesses.
Seme Kpodji is one of the four communities in Benin selected for
insecticide spray operations.
Benin is one of 15 countries which receive funding through the
President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), a United States Government
initiative led by USAID. The initiative is designed to reduce
malaria deaths by 50% by achieving 85% coverage of the most
vulnerable groups - pregnant women and children under five
years of age - with preventive and therapeutic interventions.
PMI uses four highly effective interventions: treatment with
lifesaving anti-malarial drugs; insecticide-treated mosquito nets;
preventive treatment for malaria during pregnancy; and indoor
spraying of homes with insecticides.
Sagbohan, a 23-year-old mother of a two-year-old boy,
volunteers with PMI to spray inside of homes with insecticides.
In her professional life, Sagbohan is employed as a typist, but
she was compelled to join the fight against malaria. When asked
what motivated her to become a spray operator, an activity
where men are in the majority, Sagbohan responded that it was
an opportunity to participate in the fight against malaria, which
is the most common disease in her village, and also the leading
cause of death.
”I feel valued and useful to my community by taking part in
the insecticide residential spray campaign,” she said. “I am
motivated and ready to participate in the next campaign.”
Sagbohan’s participation as a spray operator opens a new social
dimension for women leaders in combating malaria in Benin. In
her community, she is considered a pioneer in the fight against
malaria and a promoter for changing the community’s behavior
toward malaria prevention. The participation of Sagbohan
and the other five female spray operators is helping to raise
awareness about malaria and ultimately, induce behavior
changes throughout Benin communities.
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