PMI VectorLink Tanzania

In Tanzania malaria is considered a major public health problem with the entire population at risk of infection. On the Tanzanian Mainland, more than 26 percent of all outpatient visits are attributable to malaria, resulting in an estimated 7.7 million confirmed and clinical malaria cases annually. Dramatic progress in malaria control has been made throughout Tanzania, nearly all malaria indicators improved over the period between 2005 and 2015. Zanzibar adopted a new strategic plan for 2013–2018, focused on malaria pre-elimination. Under this plan, the vision is for Zanzibar to have no locally-acquired malaria cases by 2018. The Tanzanian Mainland continues to focus on malaria control through routine malaria prevention activities and interventions focused in high-transmission areas.

Activities and accomplishments:

• PMI VectorLink Tanzania successfully completed five rounds of spraying operations in selected districts in Mwanza, Kagera, Kigoma, and Geita Regions and protected up to 2,404,010 Tanzanians per year against malaria. The project maintained and achieved coverage and progress rates that exceeded the 85% target.
• In Kigoma Region, the project collaborated with UN High Commissioner for Refugees office and the Tanzania Ministry of Home Affairs to conduct IRS in the three refugee camps of Mtendeli, Nduta, and Nyarugusu in 2019, reaching a population often unreached by national malaria control efforts, due to access and security issues. In 2021, PMI VectorLink transitioned leadership to the District IRS Technical Teams to lead the spraying in these camps, with the project team providing support
  through the provision of supervisory tools and assistance with the recruitment process.
• PMI VectorLink Tanzania strengthened the capacity of the NMCP and ZAMEP staff to plan, implement, and supervise IRS in the targeted districts through supportive and increasingly autonomous supervision. Additionally, focus was put on the NMCP’s and ZAMEP’s capacity to develop and use dashboards to help decisions making related to vector control interventions and support program planning, targeting, and evaluation.
• The project distributed 1,545,985 ITNs through two channels:

1. 1. Health facility-based distribution: PMI VectorLink provided technical and direct service delivery support to ZAMEP to distribute 288,000 PBO ITNs in 179 health facilities in Zanzibar.
   2. School-based distribution: PMI VectorLink distributed 1,257,985 PBO ITNs through 3,158 schools in 30 councils across the regions of Mwanza, Gieta, Kigoma, and Kagera on mainland Tanzania. A report from the Basic Education Management Information System (BEMIS) indicateda total of 1,173,941 pupils (49.8% boys; 50.2% girls) received ITNs through School Net Program 7 (SNP7), reaching 93% of target pupils (source: BEMIS ITNs report; January 3rd, 2020).

Project factsheet

Capacity Building
Information Systems
Leadership & Governance
Vector Control

Jul 2018 — Jun 2023

Tanzania

The PMI VectorLink Project