U.S. Announces Community Grant Awards to Fight Malaria

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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 Segou 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 IPT 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 IPT 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.

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development,
have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50
years.

Public Information: 202-712-4810

SOURCE U.S. Agency for International Development

U.S. Agency for International Development Press Office, +1-202-712-4320