Malaria Center Aims to Buy Long-Lasting Mosquito Nets

Widespread distribution of long-lasting mosquito nets and insecticide tablets are among the projects that the National Malaria Center and its partners hope to include in its fourth round proposal to the Global Fund, center officials said Wednesday.

The center and the 13 NGO partners collaborating on the proposal will meet today to review their proposal, which is due Monday to the Ministry of Health, center director Duong Socheat said.

For the fourth round, the center has added two more partners to its team—the NGOs Assar and the Society for Malaria Control in Cambodia—to help implement programs, Duong Socheat said.

Last week, the group met to review its third round proposal, which asked for about $5 million for malaria and was rejected by the Global Fund, he said.

The Global Fund is an independent financial body, supported by international donors, that awards money to countries for programs in HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

At the time of the third round submission, the National Malaria Center had yet to implement any programs with the money it received in the first and second rounds, said Dr Seshu Babu, an adviser to the NMC.

As programs are now under way, “we are optimistic that this time…they can’t say its premature” to grant more money, Babu said.

One of the key components of the proposal now under discussion is the distribution of mosquito nets treated with insecticide that can remain effective for up to five years, said Neang Sophan Dara, financial officer with SMCC. From 2005 to 2009, the center hopes to distribute 160,000 of the nets in remote areas and islands in 10 provinces, he said.

Also under discussion is the widespread sale of insecticide tablets that can be dissolved in water and used to treat bed and hammock nets, Babu said.

Jacqueline Devine, deputy country representative at PSI, acknowledged that her organization was one of the partners discussing social marketing of prevention materials, but declined to provide further details until the proposal has been presented.

Assar, an international health NGO that joined the NMC for the first time this round, is seeking $50,000 to $60,000 over the five-year period to increase its anti-malaria education efforts in four provinces, said an assistant on behalf of Secretary-General Rean Samrithy.

The group wants to train two health officials from each village in Kompong Chhnang, Pursat, Battambang and Kompong Speu provinces, who can then distribute educational materials and train villagers on how to guard against the disease, the assistant said.

Approval by the Global Fund is important because “this will help Cambodia to prevent malaria…. We need financial support,” Neang Sophara Dara said.

Late last month, the center received the first $900,000 of the $2.7 million pledged to Cambo­dia’s malaria programs in the second round, Duong Socheat said.

last week.

 

Related Stories

Latest News