Today, the governments of Senegal and The Gambia officially launched a joint campaign to distribute 11 million mosquito nets to fight malaria. This is the first cooperative effort to synchronize nationwide mass net distribution on both sides of an international border.
The launch took place in Keur Ayib, Senegal, near the Senegambia Bridge and crossing point of Farafenni, symbolizing the commitment of both countries to join hands in the fight against malaria and accelerate progress in the high transmission cross-border region. The effort is a key part of the Senegambia Malaria Elimination Initiative Agreement signed between the countries in December 2018.
At the launch, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, Minister of Health and Social Action of the Republic of Senegal, and Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, Minister of Health of the Republic of The Gambia, underscored that cross-border collaboration is one of the surest ways to defeat malaria regionally and across the continent. “In addition to the common goal and political will of neighbor countries, effective collaboration across donors is important to optimizing resources,” the ministers expressed in a joint statement. “The lessons learned from this campaign will help other countries that could benefit from similar cross-border malaria control initiatives.”
With strong support from the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the campaign will deliver nearly 10 million long-lasting insecticide-treated nets in Senegal, and another 1 million in The Gambia. Both organizations collaborated closely with the national malaria control programs of Senegal and The Gambia to optimize financial and technical resources, and to support the joint planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring of the campaign.
U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator Dr. Ken Staley said, “Mass net distribution campaigns are critical for reducing malaria deaths and illness. This joint campaign is a breakthrough toward achieving comprehensive coverage of the most effective malaria interventions within and across countries. PMI is pleased to support countries to lead collective efforts like this.”
Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, said, “Malaria, and the mosquitoes that carry the disease, knows no borders. To protect people living along the border of Senegal and The Gambia, we need a coordinated approach. This first-ever joint distribution of mosquito nets to protect families from malaria across the two countries is the kind of innovative collaboration required to tackle the disease. The Global Fund is proud to be a supportive partner of the Senegal-Gambia Malaria Elimination Initiative.”
About PMI: The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) supports 24 partner countries in sub-Saharan Africa and 3 programs in the Greater Mekong Subregion in Southeast Asia to control and eliminate malaria. Led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented together with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PMI delivers cost-effective, lifesaving malaria interventions—such as insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, and essential medicines—alongside catalytic technical and operational assistance that equip and empower partner countries to end malaria. Learn more at: https://www.pmi.gov
About the Global Fund: The Global Fund is a 21st-century organization designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics. As a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by the diseases, the Global Fund mobilizes and invests nearly US$4 billion a year to support programs run by local experts in more than 100 countries. By challenging barriers and embracing innovative approaches, we are working together to better serve people affected by the diseases.
About the Global Fund’s Fight Against Malaria: The Global Fund is the leading international funder in the fight against malaria, providing nearly 60% of all international financing for malaria programs. It has invested more than US$11.4 billion in malaria control programs in more than 100 countries from 2002-2018.
