Malaria

A Living Goods agent diagnosing malaria

Despite being completely preventable and curable, malaria kills over 700,000 people each year – the majority of whom are young children. Malaria also cripples economies in developing markets: it is estimated that malaria costs Africa over $12 billion every year in lost worker productivity. Living Goods helps reduce malaria deaths by promoting proven prevention strategies and providing prompt treatment for infected individuals. On the prevention front, our agents educate their clients on the causes of malaria and emphasize the importance of preventing infection by sleeping under long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs). We also keep a record of households sleeping under bed nets, sell bed nets to those in need of one, and monitor for proper and routine usage. On the treatment front, clients are encouraged to call their Living Goods agent at first sign of malaria symptoms. Our agents diagnose and treat malaria promptly with artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs). In this way, we act as an on-call health provider that can provide exceptionally prompt treatment to this life-threatening disease. For more severe cases, our agents are trained to recognize severe symptoms and refer those clients to the nearest health center. Finally, Living Goods agents administer preventative malaria treatments to pregnant women, who are particularly susceptible to malaria.