Repurposing of insecticide-treated nets in rural Ethiopia: media scanning of community practices and implications for malaria control sustainability

Insecticide‑treated nets are central to malaria prevention strategies but are frequently repurposed to non‑protective uses. This study introduces media scanning of televised rural programs as a novel methodological approach to document Insecticide‑treated net repurposing. The aim of this study was to examine representations of insecticide-treated net repurposing within a selected episode of the ‘Wulo Adar television program’ and explore the implications of these portrayals for malaria control sustainability. Qualitative content analysis was conducted using a media-scanning approach applied to episode of ‘Wulo Adar Program’ a rural Ethiopian documentary program. A total of 1,823 frames were systematically extracted at regular one second intervals from a purposively selected episode called ‘Enarj Enawga’. Each frame was visually inspected and coded using a structured scheme developed from preliminary observations and policy relevance, after excluding 59 irrelevant frame. From 1,764 eligible frames, 271 (15.4%) depicted repurposing of insecticide-treated nets. The most frequent practices were tying nets on pot necks (33.9%), decorating walls or partitions (25.8%), and storing haystacks or crops (24.0%), together accounting for over 80% of observations. Less common uses included storing grains (9.2%), tying cows (6.3%), and tying household containers (0.7%). The reviewed Wulo Adar episode portrayed multiple instances of insecticide-treated net repurposing for household, cultural, and agricultural purposes. These portrayals highlight potential challenges for malaria prevention programs and underscore the importance of communication, monitoring, and community engagement strategies.