Community is Key for VectorLink Cote d’Ivoire

This week’s fist bump goes out to the VectorLink Cote d’Ivoire team and their dedicated partners for the successful completion of the country’s second IRS campaign! No small feat especially during a pandemic.

The first ever IRS campaign in Cote d’Ivoire took place in 2020 and was a resounding success, but it also revealed some challenges such as refusals from heads of household not being on site and locked structures due to seasonal residents (like students and teachers, for instance) being away during the summer. The VectorLink team took those challenges and saw them as an opportunity to improve for the second iteration.

To improve IRS acceptance in 2021, the team dove deep into their mobilization strategy and developed a tailored information, education, and communication approach to engage local authorities, community leaders, and beneficiaries in maximizing the protective effect of IRS. District leaders and community mobilizers worked with landlords/host families to open locked structures, so they could be sprayed. This, combined with the community’s overwhelming satisfaction with the results of the 2020 campaign, enabled the team to exceed their initial targets.

The VectorLink Cote d’Ivoire team sprayed 61,594 structures, representing 104.9% progress and 96.8% coverage, a sizeable increase from 91.9% in 2020.  A total of 203,926 people were protected, which is 101.6% of the targeted beneficiaries.

Big congratulations to our VL colleagues who once again demonstrated their commitment to protecting their compatriots from malaria, and huge thanks to our partners within the Ministry of Health, NMCP, and Sakassou and Nassian administrative authorities for their unwavering support and enthusiasm for this arduous work!