Official Launch of the Indoor Residual Spraying Campaign Betafo November 10, 2008

As part of the vision to control and eliminate malaria in the country as mentioned in the Madagascar Action Plan by 2012, the National Malaria Control Program launched on Monday in Betafo a widespread indoor residual spraying campaign that will cover all districts in the central highlands and in the regions of Bongolava, Ihorombe and Alaotra Mangoro, which are epidemic and infestation prone areas for the central high lands. Monday’s launch ceremony is part of the PMI (President’s Malaria Initiative)-funded campaign. This campaign will cover the districts of Ambohimahasoa, Ambositra, Ambatofinandrahana, Betafo, Ankazobe, and Anjozorobe, and protect a total of 1,350,000 people from lethal epidemic risks.

Like every year and prior to the rainy season, the Ministry of Health and Family Planning with the contribution of the various partners involved in Roll Back Malaria, conducts an indoor resi-dual spraying campaign or IRS. The goal is to kill anopheles mosquitoes that bite and trans mit malaria to non immune populations in the central high lands. The second part to be sup ported by the Global Fund to fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria is scheduled to start in the first week of December.

This indoor residual spraying campaign will be successful with everyone’s contribution, and more particularly the commitment of traditional leaders, chiefs of fokontany, and Mayors. Although the insecticides are approved by the WHO and the Ministry of health and all precau tionary measures will be taken by the trained sprayers, the communities must comply with all instructions provided by the local health workers and community mobilization workers to avoid any contamination hazard.