2021 Malaria Partners International Small Grants

By Maddie Sjolund, Social Media Manager, Malaria Partners International 

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In 2021, Malaria Partners International impacted more lives, countries, and people than ever before. Last year we supplied PPE, rapid diagnostics tests, and malaria prevention nets to Rotary-funded community health workers (CHWs) and supported malaria public education in Africa. 

We have continued to expand our Small Grant program to both advise and financially support malaria projects initiated by Rotary clubs based in Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Tanzania, Liberia, Zambia, and Mali. 

Uganda: 

The first three beneficiaries of the MPI Small Grants – Rotary Clubs (RC) of Arua/Arua Eco City, Mbale Metropolitan and Bukoto – successfully completed their projects in 2021. These small grants were centered around training and equipping community health workers (CHWs), providing CHWs with rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) to conduct malaria testing and treating on community members, education programs, and supplying insecticide treated bed nets. 

Learn more about each these small grants here: 

• Rotary Clubs (RC) of Arua/Arua Eco City 
• Mbale Metropolitan 

• Rotary Club of Bukoto 

Zimbabwe: 

This small grant focused on educated the community on malaria prevention and increase the usage of malaria prevention interventions by 95 percent. This was conducted from September to October 2021. 

Learn more about this small grant: 

• Msasa Small Grant Project Update 

Ghana: 

The District Governor of Rotary District 9102 endorsed the MPI initiative. This initiative trained Community Health Workers who conduct testing, treating of malaria, and train community residents in prevention and how to seek treatment against this deadly disease. In the community of Tuba, a small village on the outskirts of the capitol, the Rotary Club of Weija West have performed Indoor Residual Spraying for homes of residents to eliminate mosquitos indoors. 

After the first year of indoor residual spraying, the local clinic reported a nearly 50% decrease in malaria cases among residents from Tuba.    

Learn more about this small grant: 

• Malaria Partners International in Ghana 

Tanzania: 

The Rotaract Club of KCMC requested and received financial support for this project from Malaria Partners International, RAM Global, and their own club donated funds. 1,411 mosquito nets were successfully delivered and distributed to the Muheza district to all facilities as requested in the project.   

Other goals for this project include: 

– Raise awareness of environmental protection to control the spread of malaria and other diseases in Muheza, 

– Train 20 community members in Muheza to become community health workers, supporting community awareness and helping stop malaria, 

– Support decline of malaria prevalence from 3.1% in Muheza district to 1% or less by 2025 and ensure zero malaria by 2030

Learn more about this small grant: 

• Muheza District Tanzania Small Grant Update 

Liberia: 

The Rotary Club of Sinkor, Liberia conducted a 30-day multi-faceted anti-malaria publicity campaign funded by Malaria Partners International. This project is still underway, and we are awaiting a final report. 

Zambia: 

Since May 2021, despite the pandemic, Malaria Partners Zambia with its partners has trained over 1,200 Community Health Workers in Muchinga, Central and Copperbelt provinces, delivering primary health care to many Zambian households in 9 high burden districts across the 3 provinces.  

Learn more about malaria global & small grants in Zambia: 

• Partners For a Malaria Free Zambia – 2021 Progress Review 
• 387 Community Health Workers Trained In Mufulira Copperbelt Zambia – Malaria Phase 2 Project 
• Meet Nellie Mwanza, of the Rotaract Club of Lusaka, Zambia  

Mali: 

For this small grant, Bamako Rotarians and Rotaractors from Mali are conducting malaria prevention and control sensitization for approximately 400 people at two displaced persons camps and distribute 100 insecticide treated bed nets to households where they are most likely to be used to prevent malaria.  

In addition, this initiative will train nurses on the use of rapid diagnostic test kits, accurate symptoms and signs of malaria, prevention and treating of malaria.  This project is still underway, and we are awaiting a final report. 

Uganda registered a decrease in Malaria cases in 2021 compared to 2020*, amidst the challenges presented by COVID-19 over the two years. Malaria Partners Uganda (MPU) is taking the fresh opportunity presented by a new year to implement a replicable Malaria elimination advocacy model with particular focus on the disease’s socio-economic impact on the country. More than selling death, we will amplify the impact a healthy population in all sectors has on economic growth.

At the heart of the Malaria fight are the community members, whose daily practices have a bearing on the prevention and control of Malaria contraction and death. We shall continue our community engagements through over 200 Rotary and Rotaract Clubs across the country, with major focus on sensitization to trigger a mindset change about the killer disease; consequently, promoting Malaria-smart practices e.g., clearing mosquito breeding grounds, proper use of mosquito nets, growing mosquito repellent vegetation, blood donation, no self-medication etc.

Over the past two years, amidst limited resources, the success of multi-sectoral collaboration against Covid19 put the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement in the spot light when it comes to fighting disease. MPU will therefor position herself as an apex organization rallying relevant stakeholders for engagement in Malaria advocacy issues, like the Malaria Control and Elimination Bill.

One cannot undermine the influence of government leadership in policy and practice around Malaria eradication. 2022 will see MPU, in partnership with the Uganda Parliamentary Forum Malaria (UPFM), pursue the setup of a Malaria Dashboard in the halls of Parliament to create awareness amongst legislators of the gravity of the disease in each of their constituencies, with an aim of eliciting action. UPFM’s mandate is to advocate for every Member of Parliament to take personal responsibility for their constituency being Malaria-free.

In a nutshell, our strategy this year will entail increased community involvement through Rotary, deeper stakeholder engagement and advocating for Malaria mainstreaming; all in a bid to realize our mandate – the elimination of Malaria in Uganda.

*Ministry of Health, National Malaria Control Program Report (Aug 2021): Trends of confirmed Malaria cases in 2020 & 2021.