With Summer Comes Mosquitoes

It’s July and for many, summer is here. Summer often brings sunshine, family gatherings and outdoor vacations. But with outdoor activities comes the notorious bug bites, especially from mosquitoes. We often think of mosquito bites as annoyances that scratch and itch, but in India each pestering bite carries the risk of fatal disease.

Mosquitoes carry such diseases as malaria, yellow fever, dengue and viral fevers. Malaria is the ninth most significant cause of death and disability, globally. Ninety percent of malaria deaths around the world are children, with malnourished children under the age of five being highly susceptible, as their bodies have not built up immunities to it. Pregnant women and their unborn children are also at high risk, as the infection is passed intrauterine from mother to child.

The malaria-carrying mosquito is most active from dusk to dawn, with peak intensity around midnight, the time when people would most likely be in bed sleeping. One way to prevent mosquito bites and the diseases they carry are long lasting, insecticide-treated mosquito nets, which are tented across sleeping areas at night. Mosquito nets protect from severe illnesses brought on by just one mosquito bite.

Over the last year, donors gave over $20,000 to India Partners to help provide life-saving mosquito nets. Below is a story from one family who received an insecticide-treated mosquito net from India Partners.

Gangamma is a 55 year-old widow who began caring for her two grandchildren after her son and daughter-in-law died. Gangamma fell ill, became destitute and was no longer able to care for her grandchildren. The children were often sick from mosquito bites, but Gangamma could not afford to buy a net to protect them at night. When she received a net from India Partners she said, “What I earn is not enough to even feed the children, and many times I have tried to buy a mosquito net but it was not possible for me. But we thank all of you because your help of giving this mosquito net has really helped us. May God bless you.”

The cost for one insecticide-treated mosquito net is $10 and can help to protect a child or pregnant mother and their families from mosquitoes.

You can help protect against mosquito-bourn illnesses today!

$10 will provide a long-lasting insecticide net for a child or pregnant mother and their families

$50 will provide five nets to protect five families

$100 will provide 10 nets to protect 10 families

Click "Donate Now" and select “Mosquito Nets” from the drop-down menu. Thank you.