Protecting Tomorrow: A Family’s Fight Against Malaria

To Samuel, a 31 year-old man and his wife, 23, the buzzing of mosquitoes at night was never just a nuisance. In Mocuba District of Zambezia Province, Mozambique, it was a constant threat to the health and future of their two children.

Samuel, a construction worker, and his family relied on a single old mosquito net, worn out and full of holes.

“We started tying the holes to stop mosquitoes from getting in, but they still managed to enter,” Samuel explains.

The danger is real and reflected in the numbers. In the first ten months of 2025, Mocuba District recorded 311,333 malaria cases, an increase of 2.1% compared to the previous year. For families like Samuel and Carolina’s, malaria represents not only a life-threatening illness but also deep economic instability, caused by repeated sickness, medical expenses, and lost working days.

Relief arrived with the Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) distribution campaign. The family received two new nets, stronger, with finer mesh and more space, ensuring effective protection during sleep.

“This time we received two mosquito nets. Under one, my wife, our newborn, and I will sleep; the other will be used by my son,” says Samuel, relieved to protect four-year-old Adriele and little Anabela, just three weeks old.

Malaria prevention, however, goes beyond the distribution of mosquito nets. This family’s story highlights the importance of integrated interventions. During her pregnancy, Carolina received Intermittent Preventive Treatment to prevent malaria.

“At the health facility, they gave me tablets, similar to paracetamol, to take, three tablets to prevent malaria,” she recalls.

World Vision, together with civil society partners, Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da Comunidade, Food for the Hungry Association, and Aid for Development from People to People, provides technical and logistical support to the Ministry of Health in the implementation of the ITNs distribution campaign.

In Zambézia Province, preliminary data indicate that more than 4 million mosquito nets have been distributed, benefiting over 7 million people. For Samuel and Carolina, these nets represent far more than a prevention tool, they are a guarantee that their children can grow up healthy and protected from one of the country’s deadliest diseases.

The ITNs distribution campaign is funded by the Global Fund to Fight HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.