PMI VectorLink Kenya

Malaria, one of the world’s deadliest diseases, is transmitted by one of the world’s smallest insects—the mosquito. Bites from malaria-carrying mosquitoes resulted in about 249 million cases of malaria in 2022, with an estimated 608,000 people dying from the disease, according to the World Health Organization. Young children and pregnant women are among the most vulnerable to the disease, especially in Africa, which accounts for 96% of malaria deaths and 95% of illnesses. To reduce malaria transmission and ensure that fewer people become sick or die from this illness, vector control—activities that limit or prevent mosquitoes from spreading the disease—is essential.

Since 2006, the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) has protected millions of people from malaria, working with partner countries to scale up proven, life-saving interventions. Abt Global has contributed to this since 2011, beginning by leading the Africa Indoor Residual Spraying (AIRS) and PMI AIRS projects.

In September 2017, the U.S. continued its commitment to tackling this deadly disease, awarding Abt the five-year PMI VectorLink Project. Working in 25 countries in Africa as well as Cambodia and Colombia, the PMI VectorLink Project conducted robust entomological monitoring and equipped countries to plan and implement IRS programs and other proven, life-saving malaria vector control interventions, including insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and larval source management (LSM).

PMI VectorLink implemented safe, cost-effective, and sustainable vector control interventions while promoting gender equity in all facets of planning and implementation. The project strengthened the capacity of country governments to use epidemiological, entomological, and coverage data to support the optimal deployment of vector control tools based on each country’s context and needs.

Activities and accomplishments:

• In collaboration with Division of National Malaria Program (DNMP), Homa Bay and Migori county Ministry of Health, implemented IRS in eight sub counties in Homa Bay and six sub counties in Migori, which included spraying a neonicotinoid insecticide in Homa Bay and Migori for the first time in 2021, following several years spraying an organophosphate as part of an insecticide rotation strategy. Prior to full scale rotation, in 2019, Kenya conducted a spray pilot with a newly WHO prequalified neonicotinoid insecticide to identify any operational changes that vector control programs needed to make to support spraying new insecticides. The pilot was limited to one operation site in Homa Bay.
• PMI VectorLink Kenya conducted longitudinal monitoring and insecticide resistance in eight counties in Western Kenya in the Lake endemic zone to monitor IRS and ITN effectiveness.
• The project completed 24- and 36-month ITN durability studies of DawaPlus 2.0 ITNs distributed in Busia County and DuraNet ITNs distributed in Kwale County during the 2017 mass campaign.
• PMI VectorLink Kenya supported the development, publication, and dissemination of key national policy documents: IRS Implementation Strategy 2020-2024, Malaria Vector Surveillance Operational Guidelines 2020-2024, Integrated Vector Control Strategy 2020-2024, and Insecticide Resistance Management Plan 2020-2024.

Insecticide Resistance
Leadership & Governance
Vector Control

Jul 2018 — Sep 2021

Kenya

The PMI VectorLink Project