ENewsletter

2009 Malaria Champion of the Americas Awarded

PAHEF joined together with PAHO and The George Washington University on November 6th in Washington, DC, for the 2009 Malaria Day in the Americas event. The event called attention to the public health issue of malaria’s pervasive presence within the Americas where 57% of the total population is living in malaria risk areas.

The first Malaria Champion of the Americas Award, which honors those working to control and eliminate malaria in the region, was given at the 2009 Malaria Day in the Americas event on November 6th. PAHEF partnered with PAHO and The George Washington University to organize the event.

The Servicio Nacional de Control de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vectores Artrópodos/Control de la Malaria en las Zonas Fronterizas de los Países Andinos: Un Enfoque Comunitario (SNEM/PAMAFRO) from Ecuador won the 2009 Malaria Champion of the Americas Award.

SNEM is the organization historically in charge of malaria control in Ecuador and PAMAFRO, a project presented collectively by the countries of the Andean Health Organization and financed by the Global Fund. Working together, SNEM and PAMAFRO 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.

As the winner, they received:

• a $2,500 cash award from PAHEF for malaria-related capacity-building efforts
• the opportunity to participate in three select PAHO capacity-building activities for malaria prevention and control
• support from a George Washington University Global Health Service Fellow for approximately three months to aid in research and field work
• a plaque and certificate