SUCCESS STORIES

ANGOLA: Multiple Donors Tackle Malaria on Multiple Fronts

PROBLEM:
Malaria is a major public health problem in Angola, accounting for 53% of overall mortality in children, 25% of overall maternal mortality and 60% of hospital admissions for children under five. Angola's civil war destroyed much of the health system infrastructure with only 30% of the population able to access government health care facilities.

SOLUTIONS:
The Angolan government obtained financial support from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI); the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria; UNICEF; the World Bank; NGOs; and the private sector. Angola was one of three original PMI countries. PMI's goal for Angola and other focus countries is to reduce malaria-related mortality by 50%.

As for the private sector, Exxon-Mobil contributed US $1 million to support PMI programs in the country, and ChevronTexaco and Sonangol supported malaria prevention campaigns as well.

With this broad base of support, the country accomplished the following:

Distribution of 832,000 long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) as part of a nationwide measles campaign in July 2006, equivalent to 93% coverage in the seven high-priority areas.
Indoor-residual spraying of houses in the three epidemic-prone provinces that protected 750,000 Angolans in the first quarter of 2006
Artemisinin-combination therapies (ACTs) is use in all health facilities in Luanda province and the provincial capitals of seven other provinces
Intermittent preventative treatment for pregnant women

LESSONS LEARNED:
Strong government leadership, a commitment to improving health services, and support from a variety of donors helped Angola tackle its malaria problem effectively. Focusing resources on high-burden regions and using appropriate tools such as ACTs, LLINs, and spraying assured that the targeted approach had maximum impact. By building on these successes, Angola is poised to become a strong model for reducing the burden of malaria in the near future.

Sources:

The President's Malaria Initiative
http://www.fightingmalaria.gov/countries/angola_profile.pdf

Contacts for further details:

www.fightingmalaria.gov

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