President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI)

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The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) is a core component of the Global Health Initiative (GHI), along with health programs for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases. PMI was launched in June 2005 as a 5-year, $1.2 billion initiative to rapidly scale up malaria prevention and treatment interventions and reduce malaria-related mortality by 50 percent in 15 high-burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2007, Ethiopia became one of the PMI focus countries and in June 2010, it was chosen to be one of the first eight Global Health Initiative Plus countries.

Malaria is the most important health issue in Ethiopia. Approximately 68 percent of Ethiopia’s total population lives in malaria-endemic areas. In 2009, according to the Ministry of Health, malaria was the leading cause of outpatient visits, health facility admissions and inpatient deaths, accounting for 12 percent of reported outpatient visits and nearly 10 percent of admissions. Because a large proportion of the population does not have access to health care services, these figures likely underestimate the true burden of malaria in the country.

Under President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), the goal is to reduce malaria morbidity and mortality by 70 percent by 2013. USAID support for malaria prevention and control is primarily focused on the Oromia Regional State, the largest of Ethiopia’s nine regional states and which encompasses a third of the country. However, PMI support is expanding nation-wide by filling commodity gaps and supporting planning, training and use of strategic information. Besides strengthening national level malaria prevention and control efforts, PMI will also support the Ministry of Health-led roll-out of integrated community case management of fevers (iCCM) in target districts throughout the country.

Activities are planned and implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Oromia Regional Health Bureau. To achieve its goal, USAID assists the Government of Ethiopia in reaching 85 percent coverage of at-risk population with proven preventive and therapeutic interventions, including rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), arteminsinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), and indoor residual spraying of households with insecticide (IRS), complemented by malaria focused social behavioral change communications and other health systems strengthening activities.

PMI also contributes to PEPFAR’s support for the Government of Ethiopia’s Pharmaceutical Logistics Master Plan, enabling the tracking of anti-malaria drugs within the existing commodity supply chain system. USAID supports also a range of health communication activities that target at-risk-populations in an effort to maximize access to and use of malaria interventions, including services for pregnant women receiving antenatal care and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission.

Projects include: Men getting ready for indoor spraying to prevent malaria

PREVENTION

  • Communication for Change (C-Change): Coordinate and lead national malaria stakeholders in developing essential malaria actions for social behavior change communication. Also improve community awareness on malaria prevention and control to maximize the access to, adherence to and use of key malaria interventions. Promote positive behavior toward malaria control interventions.
    See also: PEPFAR
  • Indoor Residual Spraying for Malaria Control: Implement ‘best practice’, environmentally-compliant IRS operations to reduce malaria transmission in selected zones and districts of Oromia. Conduct comprehensive entomological surveillance to monitor the biological and physiological impact of IRS on malaria vectors.
  • Sustaining Malaria Reduction Interventions in Oromia Region of Ethiopia: Procure and distribute RDTs, ACTs and other anti-malarial drugs as well as LLINs to health facilities and households in Oromia.

CASE MANAGEMENT

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

OPERATIONAL RESEARCH

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