Kanke, Nigeria —
Two Diseases, One Solution

According to The Carter Center, fewer than 10 percent of the 13,000 households in Kanke have enough treated nets to protect all household members. With a population of 89,000, Kanke is a community in Plateau state, located in central Nigeria. Both lymphatic filariasis (also known as Elephantiasis) and malaria exact a heavy price from the people of Nigeria. This nation is the most endemic in Africa for lymphatic filariasis and harbors approximately one-quarter of all cases of malaria on the continent. Transmitted by the bite of a mosquito, these diseases have devastating effects. Lymphatic filariasis causes swelling of the extremities and permanent disability. Malaria damages internal organs that may lead to death. In Kanke, providing medicine alone has not been sufficient to stop transmission of lymphatic filariasis, which compounds the misery caused by malaria. But with a simple tool — DuraNet bed nets — we can help prevent these diseases and stop the suffering for the people of Kanke.