US Ambassador to Nigeria James F. Entwistle examines mosquito samples.
World Malaria Day turned into a week-long celebration for The PMI AIRS Project. Across 15 countries, we commemorated the day with US Embassies, USAID Missions, National Malaria Control Programmes, and other malaria prevention partners. In the past year, the project sprayed 3.2 million homes in 13 countries with insecticide that kills mosquitoes that transmit malaria. An integral part of our work is robust entomological monitoring; enabling entomologists to identify which mosquitoes carry malaria, the relative geographical and temporal distribution of the mosquitoes transmitting malaria, and the feeding and resting habits of the vector. We commemorate the progress the global health community has made around the world against this deadly disease.
AIRS Nigeria Chief of Party Nduka Iwuchukwu (left) greets Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute, who represented the Honorable Minster for Health. Dr. Nnenna Ezeigwe (center), National Coordinator for the National Malaria Elimination Programme looks on. Photo: USAID/Nigeria
In Nigeria, The PMI AIRS Project exhibited at the US Embassy’s World Malaria Day Commemoration on April 24, 2015, where the US Ambassador to Nigeria James F. Entwistle and USAID Mission Director Mike T. Harvey were in attendance. The Nigerian government was represented by the National Coordinator for the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) Dr. Nnenna Ezeigwe and her team as well as the Director and Registrar, Trademarks, Patents, and Design Registry, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ms. Nima Salman Mann, and her team. The PMI AIRS Project also exhibited at Nigeria’s NMEP’s booth exhibition for the National World Malaria Day commemoration on April 29th in Abuja.
Meanwhile in Zimbabwe, The PMI AIRS Project hosted a commemorative event at USAID Zimbabwe on April 23rd. In 2014, more than 622,000 households were sprayed in Zimbabwe, protecting approximately 1,432,000 individuals.
At the USAID Mission offices in Harare, AIRS Zimbabwe Operations Manager Shadreck Sande (center) demonstrates how a Prokopac collects live mosquitos to check for parasite infection. Photo: USAID/Zimbabwe
PMI AIRS Spray Operators wear face shields, helmets, boots, overalls and gloves for protection when spraying. Photo: USAID/Zimbabwe
