The United States has announced the conclusion of the President’s Malaria Initiative Vector Control Project in Tanzania.
The United States’ backed PMI project valued at USD 43 Million was being implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Tanzania and reportedly managed to reach out to 90 percent of the country’s population.
It has however been realized that this four-year effort has significantly advanced Tanzania’s fight against malaria.
Among its major accomplishments, the project distributed over 20 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets across Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, helping to protect over 35 million people from the disease-causing,flying bugs.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) distributed the nets against mosquitoes through mass campaigns in schools and health facilities, focusing on vulnerable groups, including infants and pregnant women.
“The United States’ partnership with Tanzania spans over six decades, and since 2006, the U.S President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) has invested over USD 747 million to combat malaria in Tanzania,” reveals USAID Mission Director Craig Hart.
“We take pride in the achievements of the PMI Vector Control Project,” Hart maintains.
“Although this specific project has ended, our commitment to partnering with the people of Tanzania and tackling malaria and other urgent public health challenges remains unwavering.”
From 2020 to 2024, the USD 43 million project supported efforts to protect 90 percent of the population at risk.
The initiative was led by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, in partnership with Tropical Health LLP and Viamo PBC.
This included 14 high-prevalence regions on the Mainland and all five regions of Zanzibar, collectively covering 57 percent of Tanzania’s population.
Other key accomplishments included strengthening the capacity of Tanzania’s medical supply agencies to independently manage mosquito net distribution, enhancing supply chain logistics through innovative tools and real-time tracking systems, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of malaria prevention efforts.
The USAID Resident Advisor for the President’s Malaria Initiative, Naomi Serbantez, highlighted the project’s success in improving household access to mosquito nets and advancing evidence-based malaria control strategies.
By fostering local expertise and leveraging data-driven insights, the project has laid a foundation for sustained progress in malaria elimination across Tanzania.