| Project Detail |
DISEASE
Malaria
TYPE
Prevention
LEAD GRANTEE
Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC)
GRANT FOCUS
To pilot long-lasting nets treated with new insecticide combinations in sub-Saharan African countries hardest hit by malaria
STATUS
Current
TIME FRAME
2018-2022
GRANT VALUE
US$ 66,000,000 *
Seeking a stronger line of defence against malaria for millions of people.
Challenges
Mosquitoes’ resistance to insecticides threatens to undermine progress against malaria. Although the number of new malaria cases has fallen dramatically over the past 15 years, progress has recently stalled. According to the World Health Organization, there were 216 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2016, five million more cases than the year before.
Solutions
Mosquito nets provide a physical barrier against mosquitoes, and treating the nets with insecticide makes them lethal for mosquitoes that land on them. One of the most effective means of preventing malaria is sleeping under a long-lasting insecticidal net. Making these nets available in malaria-endemic countries could save millions of lives.
“By investing in insecticide-treated nets and other tools, the Global Fund partnership has greatly reduced the burden of malaria. This project is a step toward accelerating impact by embracing innovation – with the ultimate goal of malaria elimination.”
PETER SANDS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE GLOBAL FUND
Progress so far
In addition to the preparations for the randomized control trial in Benin, the project has begun the groundwork in the 2019 pilot countries: Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Mali, and Mozambique. The procurement of nets has already been initiated and the first in-country delivery is expected in the second half of 2019.
The impact we are seeking
The pilot will test the performance of the nets under real conditions in select countries in sub-Saharan Africa and generate data to guide international policy on their use. The initiative is expected to fend off 37.5 million cases of malaria and save 92,000 lives in the five years beyond the project’s end. A successful pilot is expected to open up a market for the new nets and bring about competition among manufacturers, leading to lower prices and a sustainable, affordable tool for malaria-endemic countries.
Lead implementer IVCC will head a project consortium comprising the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Population Services International (PSI) and PATH.
[*] Unitaid and the Global Fund are each investing US$33 million in the four-year project. |
