Zimbabwe
Entomological technicians at the PMI workshop on insecticide resistance facilitated by CDC entomologists, Bill Brogdon and Adeline Chan. Photo by Ron Masendu.
Malaria is the third most common cause of illness in Zimbabwe. Approximately 1 in 12 children die before their fifth birthday due to malaria, according to the 2010 Demographic and Health Survey.
The Government of Zimbabwe, has implemented indoor residual spraying (IRS) campaigns since the 1940s. Currently, IRS is completed in all provinces in Zimbabwe, except for Bulawayo and Harare. IRS is widely accepted by Zimbabweans, and remains a key national strategic activity to .) reduce malaria incident rates nationally.
In 2012, the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) began supporting IRS in Zimbabwe through the AIRS project. AIRS Zimbabwe provides technical assistance to the National Malaria Control Programme to improve the efficiency and efficacy of IRS, especially with regards to environmental safety and entomological monitoring.
In December 2014, AIRS Zimbabwe completed its first full PMI-funded IRS campaign in high malaria burdened districts in Chimanimani, Mutare, Mutasa and Nyanga districts of Manicaland province using organophospate (OP) insecticide.
In 2015, the PMI AIRS Project in Zimbabwe continued working with provincial and district health officials in Manicaland Province to lead, implement, and manage the IRS campaign in the same four districts as in 2014. The country program also continues nationwide entomological surveillance in 19 sites after supplying entomological equipment to these sites. Additionally, AIRS Zimbabwe provides assistance to various national-level IRS campaign issues.
Indoor Residual Spraying Areas
Impact
According to PMI, incident rates for malaria have dropped considerably since 2000, when incident rates were 136 per 1,000 persons. As of 2012, incident rates dropped to 22 per 1,000 persons.
According to the 2013 World Malaria Report (produced by the World Health Organization), from 2000 to 2012, the percentage of the at-risk population covered by IRS has increased from approximately 20% in 2000 to 50% in 2012. Read the Zimbabwe PMI Country Profile to learn more.
*AIRS is providing technical assistance, not leading IRS operations.
AIRS Zimbabwe IRS Results, 2012
- Start date: October 1
- Length of campaign: 65 days
- Areas covered: Manicaland, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East
| # Structures Sprayed | 622,299 |
|---|---|
| Spray Coverage | 90.7% |
| Total Population Protected | 1,164,586 |
| Children under 5 Protected | N/A |
| Pregnant Women Protected | N/A |
| # People Trained | 754 |
AIRS Zimbabwe IRS Results, 2013
- Start date: October 1
- Length of campaign: 100 days
- Areas covered: 25 pyrethroid districts in Manicaland, Matabeleland North, Masvingo, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, and Midlands provinces.
| # Structures Sprayed | 622,300 |
|---|---|
| Spray Coverage | N/A |
| Total Population Protected | 1,431,643 |
| Children under 5 Protected | N/A |
| Pregnant Women Protected | N/A |
| # People Trained | N/A |
AIRS Zimbabwe IRS Results, 2014
| # Structures Sprayed | 147,949 |
|---|---|
| Spray Coverage | 90.3 |
| Total Population Protected | 334,746 |
| Children under 5 Protected | 54,553 |
| Pregnant Women Protected | 4,542 |
| # People Trained | 382 |
AIRS Zimbabwe IRS Results, 2015
- Length of campaign: 38 days
| # Structures Sprayed | 162,127 |
|---|---|
| Spray Coverage | 94.4% |
| Total Population Protected | 365,425 |
| Children under 5 Protected | 62,939 |
| Pregnant Women Protected | 5,763 |
| # People Trained | 368 |
AIRS Zimbabwe IRS Results, 2016
| # Structures Sprayed | 229,377 |
|---|---|
| Spray Coverage | 95.6% |
| Total Population Protected | 550,475 |
| Children under 5 Protected | 95,787 |
| Pregnant Women Protected | 17,325 |
| # People Trained | 687 |
