Press Releases
U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, Zambia Celebrates Progress; Commemorate World Malaria Day
April 24, 2008. Lusaka.
April 24, 2008 – Today the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) announced there is now evidence in at least four focus countries that an impact on malaria transmission is being achieved.
For example, in Zanzibar, the percentage of children who tested positive for malaria dropped from 22 percent in 2005 to less than 1 percent in 2007 after the distribution of long-lasting ITNs and indoor residual spraying. And, in Malawi, where coverage with insecticide-treated nets has increased rapidly over the past several years, a 2007 household survey in six districts showed a 43% decline in severe anemia among children aged 6 to 30 months, when compared with 2005.
Led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PMI is working with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the World Bank Booster Program for Malaria Control, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, public and private sector partners such as Malaria No More, the UN Foundation, and a host of others to ramp up comprehensive malaria control efforts across the continent.
“On World Malaria Day, Americans stand in solidarity with Zambia; and communities across the globe in the fight against malaria,” said Mission Director Melissa Williams. “Today, we commemorate World Malaria Day with you, celebrate your achievements, and rededicate our historic partnership between Zambia and the United States to defeat this preventable and treatable killer.”
PMI’s strategy to address malaria is straightforward. First, prevention: the Initiative supports indoor residual spraying to keep deadly mosquitoes at bay, the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets to provide protection from malaria-carrying mosquitoes, and preventive malaria treatment to expectant mothers during pregnancy. Second, treatment: PMI distributes new effective antimalarial medicines and trains health workers on how to use them properly.
In the first year, PMI reached over 6 million people in the initial 3 countries with malaria prevention and treatment activities. In just its second year of operation, more than 25 million people have benefited from PMI interventions. In Zambia in partnership with the Ministry of Health National Malaria Control Center and other partners, over 650,000 households were sprayed with insecticides to prevent malaria. There are already 1.2 million long-lasting insecticide treated nets procured by PMI and on the ground in Zambia.
PMI resources in Zambia are also being programmed to build the health system which includes: improving the forecasting, procurement, storage, and distribution of antimalarials and other drugs, together with training and supervision of health workers to ensure the correct usage of these drugs; supporting the health management information systems and malaria surveillance programs to improve the quality and timeliness of data collection, analysis, and reporting; and working with the National Malaria Control Center and other partners to strengthen laboratory diagnosis of malaria and ensure that clinical workers make appropriate use of laboratory test results when prescribing treatment.
“Malaria is beginning to be rolled back, setting the stage for big gains in the next few years,” said Rear Admiral R. Timothy Ziemer (U.S. Navy, retired), U.S. Malaria Coordinator. “For the first time, the elimination of one of Africa’s leading killers of children is within our reach.”
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