MPWA Executive Director, Dr. Emma Bruce, visited Rotary Clubs and Rotary Malaria Committees in Cape Verde, Guinea Conakry and Guinea Bissau from December 2nd - December 23rd 2023.

The goal was as follows: to visit Rotary and Rotaract Clubs to encourage Rotarians and Rotaractors to join the fight against malaria and participate in malaria prevention projects that can be implemented using MPI Small Grant.

Another goal for this trip was to meet with the National Malaria Control Program in each country, World Health Organization Country Representative, or Malaria Control Officer and PMI Country Advisors in each of these countries. We wanted to introduce Rotary as a partner in the fight against malaria and for the Rotary malaria team to get first-hand information about the status of malaria in the country and how Rotary can help in the fight against malaria with guidance on carrying out successful malaria projects. Dr Bruce met about 80 Rotarians from about 7 Rotary Club, 40 Rotaractors from about 4 Rotaract Clubs during the entire trip.

In Cape Verde, a joint Rotary Club meeting was arranged for the two Rotary Clubs in Praia, where Dr Bruce gave a speech advocating for the Rotary Leadership, Rotarians and Rotaractors to join the fight against malaria, letting them know the achievement that has been made by the government of Cape Verde to reach zero local malaria transmission including the gaps area which still requires funding from partners. Dr Bruce also proposed the formation of a Rotary Malaria Committee of Cape Verde and gave suggestion on suitable Rotary malaria prevention projects that can be implement through the MPI Small Grant to help maintain the achievement gained by the government.

In a meeting with Mr. Cornerlis Meirmons, Program Manager of the National Malaria Control Program of Cape Verde and the new President of the Rotary Malaria Committee of Cape Verde, Dr Bruce learnt how Cape Verde was able to reach zero local transmission of malaria and what gap areas still remains where Rotary can fill in to maintain gains made to reach zero malaria. A partnership was established a between the Rotary team and NMCP where we outlined a suitable Rotary malaria project to be carry out in Cape Verde.

In Guinea Conakry, Dr Bruce met with members of the Rotary Malaria Committee and encouraged them to stay committed and explain to them about the Small Grant process while discussing their current Project Proposal. Dr Bruce also had a meeting with Rotary Club Presidents, President Elect and Rotaractors where she explained the importance of implementing Rotary malaria projects and encouraged them to support all Rotary malaria activities. NMCP Senior Malaria Officers, WHO Malaria Officers, PMI Country Advisor for Guinea Conakry met with Dr Bruce and the Rotary malaria team in Guinea Conakry and shared their knowledge about the fight against malaria in the country and gave suitable advice on how to successfully implement the proposed project of malaria screening for school children. A partnership was formed between the Rotary Malaria Committee of Guinea Conakry and the above-named organizations. A Malaria Seminar was organized during a joint Rotary Club meeting in Conakry where the guest speaker was the NMCP Senior Malaria Officer in charge of Institutional Relations and Partnership in Guinea Conakry.

In Guinea Bissau, Dr Bruce attended the Rotary Club of Bissau meeting, which is the only Rotary Club in the whole country, where she gave a speech explaining the goals of the Rotary D9101 fight against malaria encouraging members to join the fight against malaria, advised on the types of malaria prevention activities that can be carried out in Guinea Bissau and the importance of forming a partnership with NMCP including the MPI Small Grant initiative that is available. Dr Burce officially appointed a new President of the Rotary Malaria Committee of Guinea Bissau and tasked him to form a Rotary Malaria Committee and then meet with NMCP. Then Dr Burce had a one-on-one meeting with the new President of Rotary Malaria Committee where she explained in details the following: Action Plan for Rotary D9101 Malaria, funding available through small grant from MPI Small Grant and the types of malaria prevention activities and programs that they can collaborate with NMCP to carry out.