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8 Ways PMI is Fighting Malaria

fighting_malariaIn 2005, President George W. Bush launched the President’s Malaria Initiative, an effort to make the U.S. a technical and financial leader in fighting malaria. In 2008, the signing of the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act extended the existing legislation and tripled the budget for the cause.

The effort has been largely successful, due partly to the range of methodology. The following are all ways that PMI is seeking to address the spread of the disease.

  1. Raw equipment: Over 102 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) have been distributed by PMI.
  2. Prevention: Over 243 million antimalarial treatments, 107 million rapid diagnostic tests and over 25 million preventive treatments for expectant mothers have been distributed by PMI.
  3. Education: Collectively, over 170,000 health care workers were trained in treating malaria in the fiscal year of 2014 alone.
  4. Finances: The funding level has increased from $30 million in 2006 to $669 million in 2015.
  5. Partnerships: PMI works with National Malaria Control Programs (NMCPs), as well as independent nonprofits, community groups, academia, the private sector and government agencies.
  6. Technology: The constant expansion of technology has allowed for ever-more efficient combat against malaria. For example, smartphone GPS systems allow health officials to map out routes for the transportation of insecticide used for Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS). This way they can avoid areas inaccessible by car, sensitive areas that they should not spray (such as organic crops) and other potential hazards.
  7. Specific goals: The PMI targets 20 “focus countries,” and sets both short-term and long-term goals to keep careful track of its progress.
  8. Looking to the future: The new six-year strategy (launched at the beginning of 2015) has goals that include reducing malaria mortality by over 80 percent from the original 2000 baseline levels.

– Em Dieckman

Sources: CGDEV, PMI 1, PMI 2, USAID
Photo: Alliance for Malaria Protection

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2012 USGLC Report on Reports: What We Can Learn

usglc
The United States Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) has released a publication titled the “Report on Reports” every year since 2008. These publications are designed to analyze reports issued by different groups that address development and diplomacy, and to then come to a consensus about the best way to address certain areas.

The USGLC was established in 1995 and works with over 400 businesses and non-governmental organizations to create viable solutions for global development and diplomacy. They also work with religious leaders, academics, and community leaders in an effort to reach out to people from many different perspectives.

Members of the USGLC Advisory Board include Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright, Hillary Clinton, Henry Kissinger, and Condoleezza Rice.

The 2012 Report on Reports was issued in June of this year. The report, which analyzed more than 30 reports across the political spectrum, outlined six major areas of consensus that the USGLC wanted to focus on in order to improve the United States’ diplomatic relationships and development efforts across the globe.

The first area identified is to strengthen civilian power. The USGLC concluded that the civilian foreign service workforce must continue to grow in order to protect national security and promote our interests.

The second area of consensus is to ensure results-driven development, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and regular evaluations of all development efforts.

The third area is to leverage the private sector. Rather than focusing purely on public and governmental development efforts, the USGLC supports increased cooperation with private sector groups like academic institutions and foundations.

The fourth area identified is to maintain sufficient resources, particularly to support civilian contributions to national security.

The fifth area of consensus is to improve coordination among the players, especially streamlining government agencies to improve coordination, clarity of leadership, and consistency in our development and diplomacy.

The sixth and final area is simply to prioritize. The USGLC emphasizes that although the need for development will continue to increase, we must do our best to match that need with our efforts.

Clearly, the overall emphasis of the 2012 Report on Reports is increased civilian and private-sector participation in U.S. diplomacy and development efforts across the globe. The Center for Strategic and International Studies noted that this will require support for budget reallocation from both ends of the political spectrum to fund this increased participation in these efforts. Furthermore, the bipartisan emphasis of the Report on Reports indicates the need for policymakers to reach across political lines in order to pursue the best interests of both the United States and the developing world.

What does this mean for the United States and the way that it proceeds in its global development efforts? In simple terms, the 2012 USGLC Report on Reports seeks to expand the base of participants in global development by including the civilian and private sectors and also seeks to improve bipartisan cooperation about these efforts. As we move forward in the upcoming years, the USGLC’s recommendations will improve the efficiency, participation, and success of our diplomatic and developmental projects around the world.

– Sarah Russell Cansler

Sources: United Global Leadership Coalition, United States Global Leadership Coalition 2013 Reports on Reports, The Center For Strategic and International Studies
Photo: One