VL Burundi is Charting the Way Forward to Manage Insecticide Resistance

This week’s Fist Bump goes to VL Burundi for assisting the country’s NMCP with its first-ever integrated vector control (IVC) management policy and insecticide resistance management plan (IRMP). The IRMP provides strategic direction for tracking malaria vectors’ levels of resistance to insecticides and, outlines the way forward to increase resistance monitoring, data management capacity, and the implementation of insecticide resistance management strategies. NMCP decision-makers and malaria vector control stakeholders in Burundi are now better equipped to manage insecticide resistance and increase the efficacy of their vector control operations. Burundi’s new IVC management policy and IRMP also serve as a guide for donors and research institutions to assist in mobilizing resources for monitoring and managing malaria vectors and insecticide resistance.

VectorLink Burundi hosted a two-day workshop with the NMCP, WHO Burundi, World Vision, MSF Belgium, PSI, Chemonics, University of Burundi, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, and UNICEF Burundi to review the national plan. Bringing all the relevant stakeholders to the table has paid off, building strong collaboration towards fighting malaria in Burundi. After all, there is strength in numbers!

A big congratulations to  Chief of Party Virgile Gnanguenon, WHO Consultant Jude Bigoga, NMCP Vector Control Unit Manager, Anatolie Ndayishimiye, WHO Health Program Manager, Baza Dismas, VectorLink Entomology Program Manager, Gilbert Ntampuhwe, and VectorLink F&A Manager Zephyrin Niyonzima for making this event a great success.