By Adriana Lanting, Malaria Partners International’s Director of Strategic Engagement
In early-October, Rotary International approved a $45,000 grant to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to both Rotary-supported Community Health Workers in Zambia and the families they serve. Additional funding was provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Malaria Partners International.
The Rotary Clubs of Long Beach, California and Ndola-Mukuba, Zambia partnered to secure this grant which will supply personal protective equipment (PPE) to over 500 Community Health Workers (CHWs) thereby enabling these CHWs to maintain the testing, treating and tracking of malaria in isolated rural communities within the Copperbelt Province of Zambia.
Working with Rotarian Malaria Partners Zambia and the Zambian Ministry of Health, N95 masks, face shields, gloves, sanitizers and other equipment will be distributed through the Masaiti and Mpongwe District Health Offices to 301 integrated community case management trained CHWs in the Copperbelt Province and an additional 200 CHWs in the Chililabombwe District.
PPE distribution will ensure these CHWs can continue to provide the most accessible point of healthcare to safely support malaria treatment, as well as treatment for pneumonia and diarrheal diseases – the three biggest killers of children under 5-years old in Sub-Sahara Africa.