PARTNERS FOR A MALARIA-FREE ZAMBIA PROJECT REACHES 1.2M PEOPLE AND TOASTS TO SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION

For Immediate Release

Lusaka, Zambia – June 25, 2024 - Rotary International, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and World Vision Zambia, celebrates the successful completion of a 3-year Partners for a Malaria-Free Zambia (PMFZ) Project, which reached 1.2 million people with malaria prevention and control information in Central Province. The $6 million initiative aimed to contribute to Zambia's national malaria elimination strategy by expanding its integrated Community Case Management (iCCM+) network.

Speaking on this milestone, World Vision Zambia National Director Marc Nosbach, represented by People and Culture Director Kabaso Ngoza, said community health volunteers were empowered with basic knowledge to attend to cases in their areas.

“Through the project, we trained and equipped 2,500 community health workers (CHWs) to diagnose, treat, and report malaria cases at community level. The project also strengthened local health systems by orienting over 1,500 Neighbourhood Health Committees (NHCs) on revised guidelines,” said Marc Nosbach.

“Currently, Community Health Workers are diagnosing more patients at the community level than those diagnosed at the health facility level in all the project sites," he added.

Commenting on the same, Rotary International Director Patrick Chisanga said that, because of the project's interventions, over 1.2 million Zambians now have access to essential primary health care within their community.

“Data management was enhanced through quality audits and mentorship programs for CHWs and health facility staff,” said Mr. Chisanga. “This demonstrates the project's effectiveness in decongesting healthcare systems and improving accessibility.”

Based on the success of the Partners for Malaria-Free Zambia, the funders have launched a $30 million Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge, an initiative aimed at scaling up the PMFZ model to fight malaria, pneumonia, malnutrition, and diarrhoea in Zambia, Nigeria, Mozambique and DR Congo.