About The President's Malaria Initiative
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| Workers trained in IRS march on World Malaria Day in Agoro Sare, Kenya. Source: James Kei/The Standard |
The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) represents an historic five-year expansion of U.S. Government (USG) resources to fight malaria in the region most affected by the disease. The President committed an additional $1.2 billion in malaria funding to this Initiative with the goal of reducing malaria-related deaths by 50 percent in 15 focus countries. This will be achieved by expanding coverage of highly effective malaria prevention and treatment measures to 85 percent of the most vulnerable populations – children under 5 years of age and pregnant women. This package of high-impact interventions includes insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying (IRS) with insecticides, intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women (IPTp), and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). Read Fast Facts About PMI [PDF, 599KB].
PMI Background
Structure: PMI is an interagency initiative led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented together with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It is overseen by a PMI Coordinator and an Interagency Steering Group made up of representatives of USAID, CDC/HHS, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, and the Office of Management and Budget. |
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Read the PMI Third Annual Report: Working With Communities to Save Lives in Africa, March 2009 [PDF, 4.5MB] |
Country Selection: The 15 focus countries were selected and approved by the Coordinator and the Interagency Steering Group using the following criteria:
- High malaria disease burden;
- National malaria control policies consistent with the internationally accepted standards of the World Health Organization;
- Capacity to implement such policies;
- Willingness to partner with the United States to fight malaria; and
- Involvement of other international donors and partners in national malaria control efforts.
Approach: PMI is organized around four operational principles based on lessons learned from more than 50 years of USG efforts in fighting malaria, together with experience gained from implementation of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which began in 2003. The PMI approach involves:
- Use of a comprehensive, integrated package of proven prevention and treatment interventions;
- Strengthening of health systems and integrated maternal and child health services;
- Commitment to strengthen national malaria control programs and to build capacity for country ownership of malaria control efforts; and
- Close coordination with international and in-country partners.
PMI works within the overall strategy and plan of the host country’s national malaria control programs and planning and implementation of PMI activities are coordinated closely with each Ministry of Health.
Partnerships
Partnerships are at the heart of PMI’s strategy and operational plans. PMI works closely with host country governments; other U.S. Government agencies; international organizations; other bilateral, multilateral, and private donors; nongovernmental and faith-based organizations (NGOs and FBOs); and the private sector. Achieving the ambitious PMI coverage targets and reducing malaria deaths by half across 15 focus countries can only be achieved through a coordinated approach with a broad partner base, at both the country and international levels. PMI has forged strong partnerships in all PMI focus countries.
Malaria at a Glance
- Each year, an estimated 300 million to 500
million people become ill with malaria, and
more than 1 million die. - Every 30 seconds, an African child dies of malaria.
- More than 80 percent of the world’s malaria deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Malaria is a leading cause of death of young children in Africa.
- Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease.
- Malaria causes an annual loss of $12 billion, or 1.3 percent, of Africa’s gross domestic product.
- Malaria accounts for approximately 40 percent of public health expenditures in Africa.
Who We Work With
