The partnership between these two entities in the fight against malaria greatly contributes to improve public health in Cameroon and in Africa.
In Cameroon, as in most countries where it is has been operationalized, the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) works to increase prevention and treatment means in malaria. PMI has been carrying out this mission since 2018 with the collaboration of the Centre for Research in Infection Diseases (CRID) for the entomological aspect. CRID has been chosen to carry out molecular biology analyzes on samples of mosquitoe vectors of malaria. A choice that is well justified by its state-of-the-art technical platform, ultra-modern and unique in Central Africa. As part of this partnership, seventeen (17) CRID staff, mainly made up of researchers and technicians, are involved in the work.
A methodical approach
Each month, samples are collected by researchers from various institutions, including those from CRID. These samples are deposited at the level of the PMI. The latter then forwards them to the CRID. The goal here is to ensure molecular analyzes related to resistance, analyses for entomological surveillance, especially the identification of species, estimation of the infection rate and determination of the trophic preference of malaria vectors. On the basis of a service contract, CRID provides technical assistance to the PMI and makes regular reports on the evolution of insecticide resistance in the various sentinel sites of concerned countries. When PMI experts receive the data, they perform pre-validation quality control. Therefore, the validated elements are used as evidence for the national malaria control program from which, better vector control decisions are made.
PMI-CRID under their 3th contract
In addition to technical assistance materialized by samples analysis in the laboratory, CRID researchers are solicited as consultants. The latest work carried out by the two parties will influence the next campaigns of long lasting insecticide mosquito nets distribution and the anti-vector control method by intra-domiciliary spraying in Cameroon.
Samples from Sierra Leone are equally analyzedat CRID. On September 21, 2017, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its administrator Mark Green announced that the President Malaria Initiative is about to launch new nationwide programs in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Niger and Sierra Leone. The first contract signed between PMI and CRID ran from March 1st to May 31, 2019. Currently a third contract binds the two partners. They are very determined to kick out malaria from its tracks.
