Ask the Coordinator - April 2007
E-Mail Your Questions about PMI or other malaria programs directly to Rear Adm. Tim Ziemer, U.S. Malaria Coordinator, at askthemalariacoordinator@usaid.gov.
Question:
Dear Coordinator Ziemer,
I am interested in knowing how countries are chosen for the malaria initiative. I have spent time in Sierra Leone and know that malaria is a major problem there. The maternal death rate is the highest in the world, much of it due to malaria. According to the U.N. Human Development Index Sierra Leone is the second poorest country in the world. Sierra Leone is now at peace and people are struggling to rebuild their country but poor health, especially malaria, is a major roadblock.
How can Sierra Leone get on the list for the President's Malaria Initiative?
Thank you,
Judy Figi
Friends of Sierra Leone Advocacy
Answer:
Dear Judy,
Thank you for your e-mail and your interest in the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI). Thank you also for your work in Sierra Leone.
The 15 PMI countries have already been chosen by our Inter-agency Steering Group (made up of representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services, the State Department, USAID, and several others), which determined our focus countries by reviewing information on the burden of malaria, malaria control practices of the country, interest on the part of the host country, and other factors.
Based on these criteria, the following countries were felt to be the best choices for the PMI: Angola, Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
Nevertheless, there are other options. An American-based nongovernmental organization (NGO) can apply for a Child Survival and Health Grant concentrating on malaria through the USAID Web site.
This type of grant would require the assistance of the USAID Mission in Sierra Leone, which has a history of working with this program.
If you are interested in working in one of the 15 PMI focus countries then I encourage you to also review our Malaria Communities Program (MCP). You can review the Request For Applications as well. The purpose of this program is to provide grants to new partners that are capable of working effectively either directly or through local partners to implement community-based malaria prevention and control activities.
All applications must fit within the PMI malaria operational plan and NMCP strategy for the proposed country, so if you were to apply for this program, you should review the malaria operational plans.
I am grateful for your work and encourage you to apply for either or both programs.
Keep up the good work,
Rear Admiral Timothy Ziemer
Malaria Coordinator
President’s Malaria Initiative
askthemalariacoordinator@usaid.gov
