Category: Field Notes

After five years of work under PMI VectorLink, VL Côte d’Ivoire celebrated the completion of its vector control intervention activities on January 19, 2023 at an event attended by PMI, the NMCP, and other government partners. The team conducted three IRS campaigns in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and worked with the NMCP to distribute nets during the 2021 mass ITN distribution campaign.

VL Côte d’Ivoire highlighted the accomplishments regarding vector control interventions that protected the Ivorian population. The project delivered IRS safely and to the highest quality for the first time at scale in the country; the team shared the first results of the neonicotinoid-based IRS products, which prevented 21,000 malaria cases in 2020 and 2021; and they distributed 3,074,527 PBO-ITNs in 11 districts protecting 5,479,980 people and 1,017,457 households.

The project’s entomological surveillance work will continue, and the team recognized the significant contributions in this space as well, including the rehabilitation of the insectary at the Institut National d’Hygiene Publique (National Institute of Public Health). In addition, VL Côte d’Ivoire supported the enhancement of entomological capabilities through rehabilitation of the Centre d’entomologie médicale et vétérinaire (Center for Medical And Veterinary Entomology) laboratory animal shelter and supported the Institut Pierre Richet (Pierre Richet Institute) with equipment (polymerase chain reaction machine) and supplies that will allow local research institutes to increase the breadth and quality of their vector control monitoring activities and better support the NMCP vector control unit to plan and monitor appropriate vector control interventions.

Among those present at the event were PMI representatives, Pascal Zinzindohoue, Patricia Zembrou Yepassis, and Blaise Kouadio; the Government Health Director, Professor Mamadou Samba; Director of the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), Dr. Tanoh Mea Antoine; local administrative and health authorities from Sakassou and Nassian districts, and the vector control steering committee. In his speech, Dr. Tanoh highlighted the important contributions the team made to strengthening the NMCP and partner’s capacity in addition to their contributions in vector control.

Congratulations on your accomplishments, VL Côte d’Ivoire! They are well-deserved.

This week’s Fist Bump goes to the VectorLink Colombia team for their participation in the Colombian Association of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine Conference (XVII Congreso de la Sociedad Colombiana de Parasitología y Medicina Tropical, ACPMT) in Bogotá towards the end of last year. They had seven abstracts accepted and Chief of Party Manuela Herrera-Varela participated in a symposium.

The team presented on their work in Cauca department involving,

• The biting behavior for Anopheles albimanus and Anopheles neivai;
• Anopheles mosquitoes’ involvement in the transmission of malaria on the Pacific coast of Cauca Department, Colombia;
• Composition and behavior of malaria vector species collected using Prokopack in the localities of Guapi and Timbiquí;
• Effect of temperature on biting time of Anopheles mosquitoes in two municipalities in Cauca;
• Insecticide susceptibility of malaria transmitting vectors, Anopheles albimanus and Anopheles neivai; and
• The effect of knowledge, attitudes, and practices in the success of malaria vector control tools.

The symposium was on Vector Management and Entomology in Public Health, and Dr. Manuela Herrera-Varela spoke about malaria vector control in the Americas, focusing on the project’s experiences in Colombia.

To top it all off, the team received second place for best oral presentation regarding the effect of temperature on biting time of Anopheles mosquitoes in two municipalities in Cauca.

Congratulations VL Colombia!

This week, we are taking the opportunity to share two recently published journal articles from our teams in Côte d’Ivoire and Niger.

The article on Côte d’Ivoire, titled Entomological monitoring data driving decision-making for appropriate and sustainable malaria vector control in Côte d’Ivoire, discusses how entomological surveillance and insecticide susceptibility tests conducted in 2019 informed the NMCP’s development and implementation of a stratified ITN mass distribution in 2021 considering new generation nets along with the choice of insecticide and spray time for the first IRS campaign in 2020.

For Niger, the article titled Countrywide insecticide resistance monitoring and first report of the presence of the L1014S knock down resistance in Niger, West Africa discusses how Niger’s NMCP and its partners use data from insecticide resistance testing to adapt the country’s vector control strategy better.

Great work VL Côte d’Ivoire and Niger!

Malaria parasites were first observed in Anopheles gambiae and funestus mosquitoes by Sir Ronald Ross in 1899 at a research lab in Sierra Leone, determining them to be the principal malaria vectors in Africa—a contribution which laid critical groundwork to understanding malaria transmission and prevention. However, there has been limited local capacity to continue this malaria research. This week’s Fist Bump goes to the VectorLink Sierra Leone team for helping to establish molecular entomology capacity in country through new partnerships established with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) and Njala University. In 2021, after rigorous capacity assessments led by Dr. Kevin Opondo, Njala University was selected to support the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) to analyze malaria-carrying mosquitoes collected by the PMI VectorLink Project.

In December 2022, VectorLink Sierra Leone successfully supported and facilitated the official launching of the MOU between the MOHS and Njala University to begin molecular entomology work at Njala University. Simultaneously, the launch marked the official commencement of an 8-day training for six Njala University technicians and two VL field technicians on molecular entomological techniques led by Drs. Allison Hendershot and Kevin Opondo. The event was attended by the Vice Chancellor of Njala University, Professor Bashiru Mohamed Koroma; Program Manager of the NMCP, Dr. Dennis Marke; Director of Hospitals and Ambulance Services, Dr. Matthew Vandy; Program Manager of Clinical Laboratory Services, Dr. Abdul Razack Mansaray; and senior staff from the university and NMCP. VectorLink Sierra Leone COP Laurent Iyikirenga, at the request of PMI’s resident advisor, represented PMI at the launch.

Reading the statement from Sierra Leone’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sartie Kenneh, Dr. Vandy said the local capacity created through this collaboration and training will provide credible data for the NMCP’s research and decision-making regarding malaria control in Sierra Leone and thanked all partners for making it a reality. VectorLink Sierra Leone will no longer ship mosquito samples abroad for molecular analysis and will now process samples locally. This reduces the cost and time it takes to deliver results.

Well done, VL Sierra Leone!

Happy New Year, everyone! We’re excited to resume sharing the vital work that our colleagues are doing, with this first Fist Bump of 2023!

The invasive malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi, is spreading throughout the African continent. With the mosquito’s recent detection in Nigeria through routine entomological surveillance, further detection of An. stephensi’s spread is critical. This week’s Fist Bump goes to the VectorLink Nigeria team for supporting the National Malaria Elimination Program to strengthen the in-country capacity to monitor the spread of this mosquito.

In November 2022, VectorLink Nigeria successfully trained seven principal investigators and 14 entomology technicians from universities and research institutes across seven at-risk states in the country. Participants learned adult and larval mosquito sampling tools and were provided with the standard operating procedures to implement these activities. Due to VectorLink Ethiopia’s experience with An. stephensi, Technical Manager Dr. Meshesha Managido joined the training virtually, and shared best practices on identifying the breeding and resting sites of this species and how to identify adult An. stephensi mosquitoes.

This training strengthened the ability of entomologists and researchers to provide the necessary evidence to detect the spread of An. stephensi across the country, enabling the NMEP to plan effective interventions for controlling the invasive malaria vector.

Kudos to the VectorLink Nigeria team and a shout out to Dr. Meshesha for bolstering knowledge-sharing across countries!

This week’s Fist Bump goes to VectorLink Madagascar, who had a very cross-cutting IRS launch ceremony in Isorana commune, Isandra district in November 2022. This was the first year VL Madagascar sprayed in Isandra, and more than 2,000 people attended the event.

While the launch ceremony largely focused on malaria prevention, and featured speakers such as the Mayor of Isorana commune, PMI Madagascar’s resident advisor, and a representative from the Ministry of Public Health, the event was also an opportunity for community members to receive several different health services for free.  Building off the success of last year’s launch ceremony, which enabled community members to receive COVID-19 vaccines, this year, services included family planning, dentistry, women’s health screenings, screening for diabetes, HIV/AIDs, and cataracts, taking people’s blood pressure, vaccination against COVID-19, and other medical consultations.

VL Madagascar worked with local authorities and partners at different levels; PMI/USAID partners, including ACCESS (supported COVID-19 vaccinations), IMPACT (HIV tests), FISA and MSI (family planning services), and Akbaraly Foundation (Cervical and Breast Cancer screenings) supported different health-related activities, and staff from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire tested people for HIV and screened for cataracts and diabetes.

In total,

• 164 people received a COVID-19 vaccine
• 99 people received oral care
• 331 people received medical consultations
• 107 women received cervical cancer screenings
• 109 women received breast cancer screenings
• 119 women received family planning services
• 16 people were screened for diabetes
• 38 people were tested for HIV
• 34 people were screened for cataracts

What a great way to promote the importance of malaria prevention while also receiving care for other health needs. Excellent work, VL Madagascar!

On Friday, December 2, the PMI VectorLink Mali team, along with PMI and USAID colleagues, hosted an event to mark the completion of the project’s five years of vector control interventions, including five IRS campaigns since 2018. Among those present at the event were Katie Frank, USAID Mali’s health office deputy director; Dr. Lansana Sangare, project management specialist for PMI-USAID Mali; and Dr. Aissata Kone, director of the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), along with team members from across VectorLink Mali. In a press release published to mark the occasion, USAID Mali noted that over the life of the project, PMI VectorLink contributed to protecting up to 690,000 people against malaria, and progressively strengthened the NMCP’s capacity to plan, implement, and supervise spray campaigns in Bandiagara, Bankass, Djenne, and Mopti. In a presentation to the event attendees, PMI VectorLink Chief of Party Dr. Desire Boko thanked the NMCP for its partnership, and recognized the other contributors to the project, including the Directorate of Sanitation & Pollution Control; the Mopti Regional Directorates for Health, Sanitation & Pollution Control, and Social Development and Economic Solidarity; the Laboratoire de Biologie Appliquée (LBMA); and Bi Niama Sini Sanou (BNSS). Dr. Boko also highlighted the project’s contributions to strengthening NMCP capacity for using data in decision-making. In a second presentation, PMI VectorLink Lead Entomologist Dr. Libasse Gadiaga outlined the many, high quality entomological monitoring activities, including participation in the nationwide insecticide resistance study, standard monthly surveillance, and the introduction of community-based surveillance to enable data collection in hard-to-reach areas.

VectorLink Mali team members have been a model to all of us in how they have always managed to deliver on their commitments—despite extremely challenging circumstances. Kudos to all our colleagues in Mali—you’ve done an extraordinary job!

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!

We are thrilled to share that VectorLink Zambia has been recognized as a winner of the 2022 USAID Digital Development Award (the Digis). The Digis are given each year to USAID colleagues and partners that are using digital technology to help countries work toward sustainable growth and resilience.

PMI VectorLink Zambia has developed a suite of digital tools, in partnership with Akros, including the use of satellite imagery, digital micro planning maps, and a mobile application, to guide and track the delivery of indoor residual spraying at the household level to ensure no communities or structures are missed.

“The digital micro-planning and mapping tools helped the NMEP in 2021 to maximize the impact and coverage of its vector control strategy by delineating which communities would receive nets and which would be sprayed, based on their epidemiologic and operational profiles,” said VectorLink Zambia Chief of Party Nduka Iwuchukwu.

USAID received nearly 200 applications from around the world for this year’s awards. Each project was judged on its ability to support the digital ecosystem as outlined in USAID’s Digital Strategy. Read our story on the PMI VectorLink website to learn more, and check out USAID’s announcement of the winners, including a video which highlights VectorLink and the other four winners.

Well done, VectorLink Zambia!!! This is a fantastic accomplishment.

This week’s Fist Bump goes to the VectorLink Tanzania team for an IRS campaign that featured new innovations for the country and placed a significant emphasis on protecting vulnerable populations. The project worked closely with the National Malaria Control Program and Office of the President to successfully implement IRS in two districts in mainland Tanzania from October 5th – November 4th, 2022.

The innovations were in the realm of environmental compliance. Soak pits during this year’s IRS campaign had two new features: water availability outside the soak pit area, and a rinsing station for SOPs’ gumboots before entering the main washing slab. Spray operators could collect the water needed to clean themselves up after cleaning their equipment without having to go back into the soak pit areas, and rinse stations prevented dirt and other buildup in the gumboots from clogging the drainage system in the wash area.

VL Tanzania has also been a leader in reaching vulnerable populations with IRS. Much of their campaign focused on two refugee camps, Nduta and Nyarugusu in Tanzania’s Kasulu and Kibondo districts. Like last year, the District IRS Technical Teams took the lead with VL Tanzania providing technical assistance. The team also sprayed a total of five jail cells, four for men and one for women, in response to a request made to the district medical officer from the Kibondo Prison Department. A total of 136 inmates received protection from malaria. In total, the team sprayed over 240,000 structures, protecting around 945,000 people.

Well done, VL Tanzania. Here’s to continually finding new ways to improve the campaign!