U.S. President's Malaria Initiative Begins.

A year ago, United States President George W. Bush announced Ghana as a new focus country for the President's Malaria Initiative, (PMI). The initiative has a goal to reduce malaria deaths by half among the most risk groups, namely pregnant women and children under five. A total of $1.2 billion is allotted to run the five-year initiative in 15 of the highest-burden countries in Africa. Ghana joins Benin, Madagascar, Mali, Zambia, Kenya, Liberia and Ethiopia as the third group of PMI focus countries. Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda and Senegal have been implementing PMI programmes for 1-2 years already. PMI/Ghana was officially launched at a durbar at Agona Abodom in the Central Region by the US Ambassador to Ghana, Pamela Bridgewater. The theme for the occasion was, "Let's Come Together and Drive Malaria Away." In Ghana, PMI will operate for three years from 2008 through 2010 and will provide between $17 million and $19 million worth of support to malaria prevention and control efforts each year. PMI will start with the mosquito net re-treatment exercise which was featured at the durbar. Madam Bridgewater said Ghana was chosen for PMI in part, because there was a sound national malaria strategy already in place. "Now our PMI teams and Ghana's own malaria experts have come together to study the situation to identify Ghana's main needs. Together, they have drawn up a solid plan to fight malaria." She stressed that collaboration is not only about health experts and government officials, but all and sundry playing their roles. "We know that Ghana will be a reliable and committed partner in stopping malaria. The National Control Programme, with major support from the Global Fund has a proven track record in scaling up key interventions. A well established network of NGOs is available to help reach the most remote communities." She added that the most important partnership of all is with individual Ghanaians and families who will take the necessary steps to protect themselves and their loved ones from malaria. A PMI Malaria Walk to pave the way for the official launch of the PMI was undertaken by professional walkers and a traveling malaria road show, which embarked on a three-day malaria awareness walk and road show from Accra, which ended at the durbar at Agona Abodom. There were stopovers at Bujumbura, Winneba and Agona Swedru. The road show employed music, drama, malaria talks and distribution of fact sheets, Insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITN) and other educative materials to heighten interest in malaria control. ITN will be distributed in greater numbers throughout Ghana with over one million Ghanaians expected to benefit in the first year alone. PMI will conduct indoor residual spraying in selected districts and 100 thousand households will be targeted for spraying in 2008. Further, it will help women to obtain malaria treatment during pregnancy. This is to protect unborn children and pregnant women from negative effects of malaria such as anemia, spontaneous abortion and death. Also, PMI will work with the Ghana Health Service to ensure that every Ghanaian has access to life-saving malaria medications. The Deputy Minister of Health, Abraham Odoom stated the need to draw on the efforts by government to control and prevent malaria. He commended the US government for the PMI and pledged Ghana's readiness to cooperate fully. "We are looking forward to working with you shoulder to shoulder to relieve Ghana and Africa as a whole of this great burden." According to USAID, since launching activities in late 2005, PMI is said to have moved quickly to implement malaria prevention and treatment activities in its target countries. Working with the Global Fund, the World Bank, other partners and under the overall leadership of the National Malaria Control Programmes, substantial progress is being made.