What problem are they working on?
Malaria
- Malaria is a life-threatening disease transmitted by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
- In 2015, 438,000 people died and 214 million people fell ill from malaria.
- 70% of malaria-caused deaths are of children under the age of 5.
What do they do?
The Against Malaria Foundation (AMF) facilitates the distribution of long-lasting, insecticide-treated (mosquito repelling) bed nets for people in developing countries. Anopheles mosquitoes typically bite between 10:00 pm and 02:00 am. Sleeping under bed nets reduces the risk of mosquito bites and the transmission of malaria.
Does it work?
Academic evidence suggests that distributing bed nets reduces child mortality and cases of malaria. AMF also conducts rigorous distribution surveys to confirm their bed nets are being used correctly.
What do you get for your dollar?
Each net costs about $2.50, and protects, on average, two people for 3 – 4 years. GiveWell estimates the total cost (including costs not directly incurred by AMF) per distributed bed net to be $4.85. Using this figure, GiveWell roughly estimates the cost per life saved to be about $7,500.
How much money could they use?
GiveWell estimates AMF can commit to a maximum of between $78 million and $191 million in the 2017 – 2018 budget year.
We recommend AMF because of its:
- Focus on a program with a strong evidence base demonstrating impact and cost-effectiveness.
- Rigorous monitoring processes to ensure bed nets reach their intended recipients and are used over the long-term.
- Consistent ranking as one of the top giving opportunities by charity evaluator GiveWell.
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