U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator visits VectorLink Rwanda

This week’s Fist Bump goes to VectorLink Rwanda who recently hosted the U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator Dr. David Walton in Nyagatare District, Eastern Province on his first visit to a PMI partner country as coordinator. Dr. Walton observed how spray operators for an IRS campaign are trained, visited the district hospital, and later toured the Malaria and Other Parasitic Diseases Division (MOPDD) entomology laboratory in Kicukiro District.

The spray operators demonstrated spray techniques used to ensure full coverage of the walls such as the appropriate distance between the wall and nozzle, and the VL Rwanda team emphasized the district’s leadership when it comes to the IRS campaigns. After, he visited Nyagatare District Hospital where the Director General showed him, using graphs with recent data, how malaria cases and deaths in the district have decreased considerably in recent years.

In his remarks, Dr. Walton stated that he encourages his colleagues to leave their offices and visit the field where spray operators and community health workers are doing the actual work of protecting people against malaria. He also noted that he chose to visit Rwanda first due to its incredible gains in the fight against malaria. He emphasized that Rwanda’s best practices can be imitated by other countries, and he reiterated the USG commitment to continue supporting Rwanda in its effort to eliminate malaria.

At the end of his visit, Dr. Walton visited the MOPDD entomology lab where the Vector Control Unit Director, Dr. Emmanuel Hakizimana summarized the lab’s different activities, and Dr. Walton observed some of the molecular tests.

It’s great seeing VL Rwanda and the government of Rwanda recognized for the excellent work that they are doing to ultimately end malaria. Bravo!