News
Meet the Malaria Champions of the Americas Finalists
Approximately 57% of people living within the Americas are at risk of malaria infection. To draw attention to the issue, Malaria Day in the Americas will be observed for the third consecutive year on November 6,2009. It will be the platform upon which countries of the Region can engage in a year-round aggressive campaign against the disease.
There, we will honor a Malaria Champion of the Americas, a person or organization making great strides in combating malaria within the Western Hemisphere. We invite you to learn more about the three finalists. A winner will be selected and announced on November 6th.
SNEM-PAMAFRO
Ecuador
Fighting malaria in Ecuador is no small undertaking, but two organizations aren’t just up to the task—they’re making serious in-roads. SNEM (Servicio Nacional de Control de Enfermedades Transmitaidas por Vectores Atropodos) is the organization historically in charge of malaria control in Ecuador.
By working together with PAMAFRO, a project presented collectively by the countries of the Andean Health Organization and financed by the Global Fund, the two are reducing malaria mortality in the region. The program is remarkable for being the first malaria control project with community participation that integrates the border areas of Andean countries.
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Dr. Mario H. Rodriguez Lopez
National Public Health Institute
Morales, Mexico
Dr. Rodriguez is a leading authority on malaria and has spent a great deal of his professional career working closely with various partners to control malaria in Mexico. He is the regional leader of the Mesoamerican Initiative for Public Health working to eliminate malaria in the region. In this role, he has been a successful manager in implementing interventions to control malaria and develop an information system for health in the Mesoamerica region.
As a researcher and innovative leader, Dr. Rodriguez formed a working group for scientific and technical cooperation for malaria control in Mexico. His expertise in this realm has made him a national leader in extending technical support on policymaking to control programs. Additionally, he supported and successfully restructured the development of the alternative vector control without the use of insecticides in Mexico and Central America.
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Health Division of the Social-DSFES FES Foundation
Colombia
Based in Colombia, the Health Division of the Social-DSFES FES Foundation is a research group in public health that has spent more than 18 years conducting research, technical assistance, monitoring, and development of public health interventions to control malaria in endemic regions. Their work has been primarily concentrated in the Buenaventura region of Colombia.
The group has conducted 24 investigations regarding malaria with a focus on three main areas: individual, vector, and health services. Their work has contributed to the diagnosis of cases and explanations of malaria behavior in the country, especially in the Pacific region.
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