US Ambassador Robert Yamate at the Official Ceremony for Launching a Mass Distribution Campaign of 10.5 million Bed Nets

Deputy PMI Coordinator Dr. Nahlen was in Madagascar to participate in the official launch of the bed net distribution campaign
US Ambassador Robert Yamate, Health Minister Prof. Andriamanarivo, and Deputy PMI Coordinator Dr. Nahlen jointly launched the bed net distribution campaign in Foulpointe
USAID/Madagascar

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

USAID/Antananarivo

++261/20-23-48000 x. 2788 | e-mail: mmanning@usaid.gov

 

FOULPOINTE –Minister of Health Lalatiana Andriamanarivo, U.S. Ambassador Robert Yamate, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Susan Riley, and the U.S. Government Deputy Global Malaria Coordinator Dr. Bernard Nahlen visited Foulpointe in Atsinanana region on September 30 to officially launch the bed net mass distribution campaign.  For the duration of the campaign, from September 28 through November 12, a total of 10.5 million long-lasting insecticide treated nets will be distributed in 92 districts, protecting at least 20 million Malagasy against malaria.

“Correctly used, bed nets prevent at least 40 percent of malaria diseases among users,” said Ambassador Yamate at the ceremony, which was presided over by the Minister of Health.  Under the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) funding, the U.S. Government is providing and distributing 6.35 million nets in coordination with Global Fund which will provide and support the distribution of 4.2 million additional nets.

The PMI initiative is led by USAID and implemented in coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Since 2008, PMI has supported three bed net mass distribution campaigns in Madagascar, and has procured and distributed over 12.5 million insecticide-treated nets.

In addition to promoting and distributing insecticide-treated bed nets, PMI supports the Ministry of Health’s National Malaria Control program to implement the national malaria control strategy.  These life-saving interventions include the delivery of proven high-impact malaria control interventions, such as indoor residual spraying, treatment of malaria in pregnant women, and use of effective drugs to diagnose and treat malaria.

Through this campaign, national and local authorities are committed to achieving a high coverage rate with nets in all the 92 malaria endemic districts. It also aims to raise awareness about the need to prevent the disease through a correct use of bed nets. The main message is to invite everyone to always sleep under a net every night year-round.