PMI VectorLink: Six Years of Malaria Vector Control Achievements
Highlights
- The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) VectorLink Project was implemented by Abt Global from 2017 through 2023.
- PMI VectorLink collaborated with national malaria programs and their partners in 27 countries.
- Through entomological monitoring, indoor residual spraying, and distribution of insecticide-treated nets, PMI VectorLink protected millions of people from malaria, year after year.
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.
The project developed a global database management system, VectorLink Collect, using the open source DHIS2 platform to improve the way data was captured, managed, and used across the project countries. This system, as well as the project’s experience with new and existing vector control tools, informed global malaria best practices, guidelines, and policies.
Abt’s consortium of implementing partners for PMI VectorLink included Population Services International (PSI) and PATH, with contributions from Malaria Consortium, Innovative Vector Control Consortium, Maxar Intelligence, EnCompass LLC, BAO Systems LLC, and Dimagi, Inc.
The infographic below highlights the project’s major achievements.
