U.S. and Local Partners Celebrate Launch of Malaria Indoor Residual Spraying in Manicaland with New Insecticide

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Harare, Zimbabwe; 4 November 2014.  The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) Mutare District Medical Office (DMO) celebrated the launch of malaria indoor residual spraying season with partners, including Abt Associates, Inc., Africa Indoor Residual Spraying (AIRS) project and Population Services International, Strengthening Private Sector Services (SPSS).  The event, hosted by MOHCC’s DMO in Mutare District, acknowledges a $4 million investment this season in protecting Zimbabwean Manicaland communities from malaria, one of the deadliest diseases in the world. 

This launch also marks the deployment of a new insecticide for malaria prevention, called Actellic, an organophosphate.  NMCP and partners’ study of mosquitoes in Manicaland Province discovered that mosquitos were showing signs of resistance to pyrethroid-based insecticides.  USAID’s AIRS project worked with NMCP to select Actellic that will more easily kill mosquitoes that had learned to adapt to pyrethroids.

The U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission, Robert Scott, commented: “Together with the National Malaria Control Programme, we are launching this new insecticide and spraying equipment to effectively kill mosquitos, improve efficiency, safety and effectiveness of mosquito spraying.” 

The PMI-supported campaign against malaria will enable the NMCP to spray more than 159,000 structures during the 2014 campaign season in Nyanga, Mutare, Mutasa, and Chimanimani Districts in Manicaland, thus protecting nearly 350,000 Zimbabweans from malaria.

“The U.S. government is a long-standing, committed partner to the people of Zimbabwe, promoting good health and long life as a priority.  Good health and long life are valuable assets for the people of Zimbabwe to enjoy but they also strengthen families, society, the economy, and the nation,”  Deputy Chief of Mission Scott added.

PMI in Zimbabwe is implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Since the U.S. PMI began its support to the people of Zimbabwe in 2011, the United States has committed a total of $56,000,000 to combat malaria in Zimbabwe.  The U.S. PMI plans to commit another $14,500,000 in 2015. 

In 2013, PMI provided over 690,000 long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs), contributing to an increase in the proportion of people who slept under a treated net from 19 percent in 2009 to 58 percent in 2013.  In 2014, a total of 888,000 LLINs were purchased and these quantities, together with Global Fund contribution, are estimated to enable Zimbabwe universal coverage of LLINs in all its malaria vulnerable areas.  Furthermore, PMI supported anti-mosquito spraying of households is protecting 1,160,000 people in 17 malaria-prone districts.

PMI’s current assistance for malaria activities in Zimbabwe also includes prevention outreach activities, monitoring mosquito resistance to insecticides, supplying anti-malarial prevention drugs to pregnant women, training health and community health workers in proper malaria case management and providing malaria test kits and therapy drugs.

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For additional information, please contact Public Affairs Officer, Karen Kelley at kelleyk@state.gov or USAID/Program Officer, Melissa Scherer at mscherer@usaid.gov.