title: The effectiveness of student-run organizations within global health promotion initiatives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This commentary describes a student-led project that distributed long-lasting insecticide-treated nets in Masaka, Uganda. The role of student-led initiatives in global health promotion projects is also discussed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey of 213 net recipients was conducted after a 12-month period to evaluate malaria prevention knowledge, and net use and maintenance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 4.7% of recipients could not recall any malaria prevention methods. Seventy percent of pregnant women and 86.5% of children under five slept under a net the previous night. Only two households (0.9%) no longer possessed a net, and nets were not used in 2.3% of houses. Household observation revealed 17.4% of nets had at least one problem that would compromise effectiveness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Student-led projects can play an important role in effectively preventing malaria. However coordination with existing programs, targeting hard-to-access groups, and training of students overcomes some common limitations of such student-led initiatives.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Yoni
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Byron
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital, Perth, Australia.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Australia University of Tasmania, Australia Linda.Murray@utas.edu.au.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Australia University of Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cooling
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D057148:Insecticide-Treated Bednets; D008288:Malaria / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013334:Students; D014454:Uganda
keywords: Africa; collaboration / partnerships; communicable disease; education (including health education); global health / globalization; health promotion