Contact: Press Office, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), 202-712-4320; Public Information: 202-712-4810

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 /Standard Newswire/ -- The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced over $10.5 million in grants to seven organizations working in six countries in Africa to extend malaria prevention and control activities in communities most affected by the disease, particularly children under age 5 and pregnant women. The grants were provided through the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), an interagency initiative led by USAID with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as key partners.

The Malaria Communities Program (MCP), a $30 million initiative created under PMI, is providing these grants to support the efforts of communities and indigenous organizations to combat malaria in Africa. The program specifically aims to identify organizations that are new to partnering with the U.S. government and are uniquely positioned to work at the community level. The program also seeks to increase local and indigenous capacities to undertake community-based malaria prevention and treatment activities and to build local ownership of malaria control for the long term. MCP grant recipients will operate within respective PMI country strategies, which have been developed in collaboration with each country's Ministry of Health and National Malaria Control Program, with in-country partners, and with other donor organizations working in-country.

"I am committed to expanding the work of nongovernmental and faith-based organizations, and other community based entities to reach people with the tools and knowledge to control malaria," said R. Tim Ziemer, U.S. Malaria Coordinator. "The key to saving lives, especially children, is to expand proven approaches and interventions until they reach each and every child who needs them."

Grantees:
HealthRight International (HRI) - Kenya
HealthRight International will implement a three-year, $1.5 million malaria program targeting more than 200,000 under-5 children and pregnant women in the Northern Rift Valley region of Kenya. Through community education and training activities, the project will reduce morbidity and mortality from malaria in five districts of Kenya by promoting community adoption of positive prevention and care-seeking behaviors and by strengthening community access to quality malaria prevention and treatment services. HRI will build the capacity of 21 target facilities and five District Health Management Teams to deliver appropriate prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services and distribute long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs).

Merlin - Kenya
With a three-year grant totaling $1.5 million, Merlin will deliver malaria prevention and treatment to an estimated 220,000 under-5 children and pregnant women in five malaria epidemic prone districts of Nyanza Province. Merlin will work with the Ministry of Health and local partners to increase community awareness and knowledge on malaria prevention, treatment and case management. The project will promote correct and consistent use of LLINs, and increase access to intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) among pregnant women. Merlin will improve community knowledge and equitable access to health services through health worker training and outreach education.

Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) - Nets for Life - Ghana
Through a three-year, $1.34 million grant, ERD and its partners will implement a malaria Nets for Life program in 280 of the hardest-to-reach communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana, reaching a total population of 140,000 people, including 25,000 children under 5, 7,000 pregnant women and 33,500 women of child-bearing age. The program aims to increase LLIN usage by facilitating distribution of approximately 64,000 nets in the target areas. Through community education, the project will ensure that malaria symptoms are recognized in the household, that prompt and effective treatment is sought and that pregnant women have knowledge of and seek out IPT. The project will strengthen the capacity of communities by engaging with, training and equipping over 1,000 community volunteers in participative health education, facilitation of behavior change communication (BCC) activities through district, sub-district and grass-root leaders and advocacy.

Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) - Mozambique
AKF, in partnership with Progresso and the country's Ministry of Health (MoH), will implement a three-year, $1.48 million malaria prevention and treatment project targeting nine districts in the Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique. The program will directly reach 400,000 people, including an estimated 110,000 pregnant women and children under 5 by delivering malaria prevention and education programs increasing access to ACTs, and promoting household ownership and proper use of ITNs. The program aims to promote sustainable malaria control in the target areas by strengthening community capacities for health promotion activities and treatment services, and by establishing strong linkages between communities and government health care services.

Lutheran World Relief (LWR) - Mali
Through a three-year, $1.49 million grant, LWR will take an innovative approach to expand access to and utilization of existing national malaria prevention and control services in the Mopti and Ségou regions of Mali by leveraging current community and private-sector economic development partnerships to reach 480,000 people in over 400 communities including more than 70,000 pregnant women and 90,000 children under 5. This partnership will expand BCC channels for malaria awareness, prevention and treatment as well as increase access to and use of existing malaria prevention and treatment services by enhancing geographic outreach and developing Community Health Solidarity Funds (CHSF) in 25 community health center catchment areas.

Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) - Zambia
The CMMB will implement a $1.45 million, three-year program targeting an estimated 100,000 women and children living in three rural districts of Luapula Province of Zambia. CMMB will link community mobilization efforts with existing partner activities that focus on promoting ownership and utilization of bednets, promotion of IPTp for pregnant women, and prompt access to treatment for children under 5. The project will partner with district health management teams, the National Malaria Control Program, the Churches Health Association of Zambia and neighborhood health committees (NHCs). CMMB will work with these partners to train community leaders (Chiefs, headmen, traditional healers), and leaders of the NHCs as mentors of community health workers in order to encourage ownership and participation by communities in malaria prevention and control efforts.

Medical Teams International (MTI) - Uganda
Over a three-year, $1.05 million grant, MTI will address malaria prevention and treatment needs of more than 765,000 people including an estimated 160,000 children under 5 years of age and 40,000 pregnant women in the Dokolo and Lira Districts of northern Uganda. The MTI project aims to increase access and utilization of long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) among vulnerable groups and IPTp among pregnant women as well as increase access to malaria treatment within 24 hours of onset of symptoms by children under 5 and pregnant women. The project will partner with district health offices, the National Malaria Control Program and a local malaria-focused NGO, Ephadrin. Key project activities include training community malaria distributors and respected women leaders as community mentors in behavioral change communication, assisting efforts to facilitate distribution of LLINs and establishing a community health information system.

For more information about USAID and PMI, please visit www.usaid.gov.