PMI recently worked with ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel producer, to conduct IRS in Yekepa, Nimba County, Liberia.
Spray pumps stand ready for use at the start of an IRS campaign in Yekepa, Liberia. Source: USAID
In many countries, PMI works closely with private sector organizations to extend the reach of malaria control, having collaborated with ExxonMobil Foundation in Angola for delivery of malaria services, Illova Sugar Estates in Malawi and AngloGold Ashanti in Ghana for IRS, and with Selecomwireless in Zanzibar for malaria case reporting via text messaging.
PMI recently worked with ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel producer, to conduct IRS in Yekepa, Nimba County, Liberia. ArcelorMittal, one of the first major foreign investors in post-conflict Liberia, plans to operate iron ore mines in Nimba County, which lacks the basic infrastructure as a result of the civil war that ended in 2003.
While the company has not yet started mining activities, it has repaired roads and re-opened the local hospital. To protect its workforce, the company is committed to tackling the malaria problem in communities around their mining sites.
A spray operator applies insecticide to the walls of a home in Yekepa, Liberia, during an IRS campaign, on which PMI collaborated with ArcelorMittal. Source: USAID
In August 2010, PMI joined with ArcelorMittal to distribute ITNs and conduct IRS for residents in the village where most of the workers’ families live. PMI supplied the insecticide and the spraying equipment as well as training for ArcelorMittal employees selected as spray operators. In addition, throughout the spraying program, PMI provided technical assistance to ensure its success. Besides providing the spray operators, ArcelorMittal also engaged volunteer community mobilizers who worked with the residents to accept IRS. The program covered nearly 1,200 houses, protecting over 6,700 residents.