PMI VectorLink Zambia

Despite steady advances in the fight against malaria over the last decade, The World Health Organization’s 2018 World Malaria Report indicated that between 2017 and 2018, the global number of malaria deaths remained the same. In Zambia, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the U.S. government and Zambia’s Ministry of Health, malaria deaths continue to decline. To maintain and accelerate progress, the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) VectorLink Program supports the planning and implementation of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) campaigns and Insecticide Treated Net (ITN) programs. These are proven, life-saving vector-control initiatives, as they target the mosquitoes capable of transmitting malaria parasites.

VectorLink works closely with Zambia’s National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP) to target 20 districts with indoor residual spraying, seven districts with entomological monitoring, and four provinces with insecticide-treated nets. Using selected entomological indicators, VectorLink will monitor the impact of the IRS operation to support decision making.

Activities and accomplishments:

• PMI VectorLink Zambia conducted five successful IRS campaigns, maintaining strong working relationships with district and provincial stakeholders. In 2022, 45% of spray actors were female.
• PMI VectorLink assessed distribution of ITNs through routine distribution (ANC/EPI) in 16 districts and ITN repurposing and misuse in 9 fishing communities across 3 provinces, guiding the NMEP’s ITN strategy.
• The project developed and presented integrated data visualizations to the NMEP each year to inform the insecticide and nets to deploy, and helped establish a national entomology database.

USAID factsheet

Capacity Building
Impact of Interventions
Vector Control

Sep 2017 — Aug 2022

Zambia

The PMI VectorLink Project