An Unprecedented Year in the Malaria Fight - Top Stories of 2020

2020 was not an easy year. Despite the historic challenges, PMI’s critical work continued. As we look back on the year, we applaud the partnerships that made possible both the celebratory milestones and the continued momentum to end malaria and save lives.

With the year coming to a close, here is a quick look back at our top stories of 2020:

Continuing the fight against malaria during the COVID-19 pandemic – Despite the global health crisis, PMI and our partners rapidly adapted to continue our vital malaria work. We protected almost 160 million people with mosquito nets, 7.5 million children with preventive medicine during peak-malaria season, and 13 million people through indoor spraying that kills mosquitoes. In collaboration with Facebook, we reached more than 4.7 million users to encourage them to still get tested for malaria if they have a fever.
#15YearsOfPMI – George W. Bush’s launch of PMI on June 30, 2005, marked a turning point in the fight against malaria. Here are “15 Things about PMI on the 15th Anniversary of its Launch”. To commemorate this anniversary, Malaria No More and the African Leaders Malaria Alliance hosted a virtual event in which leaders from Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, and Zambia shared their efforts to end malaria in partnership with PMI. The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene hosted a virtual fireside chat between the former and current U.S. Global Malaria Coordinators.
Distribution of the two billionth mosquito net – The malaria community commemorated a major milestone in the distribution of the two billionth insecticide-treated net. PMI purchased 300 million of these nets and helped distribute even more. Why do nets matter? About 450 million cases of malaria were prevented between 2005 and 2015 because of nets — and increased delivery of nets means more people are protected.
The International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife – Health workers like Amicha in Cote d’Ivoire and Jenifer in Ghana play an essential role in preventing and treating malaria, especially in vulnerable pregnant women. PMI is proud to provide training, supportive supervision, medications, and supplies to make their work possible.
Renewed commitment to prevent malaria in pregnancy- PMI joined the RBM Partnership’s Call to Action to speed up and scale up intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy (IPTp) in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite progress, two-thirds of eligible pregnant women do not receive the recommended three doses of medication. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that millions of pregnant women experience the safe and healthy pregnancies and births they deserve – even during COVID-19.