U.S. Embassy Awards Malagasy Doctor for His Leadership on Efforts to Combat COVID-19

ANTANANARIVO – U.S. Ambassador Michael Pelletier recognized Dr. Gilbert Andrianandrasana with the U.S. Embassy’s Champions of Madagascar “Mpiaradia” Award for his leadership in delivering personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospitals and health centers across Madagascar. Dr. Gilbert is the Chief of Party for the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) IMPACT health program. The U.S. Department of Defense provided the PPE supplies as part of its ongoing efforts to mitigate and prevent COVID-19.

 

"Our support to the Government of Madagascar and its efforts to fight the coronavirus would not be possible without public health champions like Dr. Gilbert and his colleagues at IMPACT,” Ambassador Pelletier said. “His leadership and coordination have been instrumental in ensuring personal protective equipment reaches front-line healthcare workers who tirelessly provide their services to Malagasy communities. We will continue to face this global health crisis together – like mpirahalahy mianala – and emerge stronger partners for it.”

 

Starting in June 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense and the USAID IMPACT project delivered 45,500 medical grade face coverings, 39,000 gloves, 2,600 disposable gowns, 2,600 disposable overshoes, 650 goggles, 650 thermometers, 260 jumpsuits, and 650 bottles of sanitizing gel to hospitals and basic care centers in 13 districts of Madagascar. The U.S. Department of Defense procured the supplies, and worked with the USAID IMPACT project and people like Dr. Gilbert to distribute the PPE. Dr. Gilbert worked tirelessly to ensure the project was successful in protecting front-line healthcare workers and the Malagasy people from COVID-19.

 

“The project was initiated at the best time, when we noticed a substantial increase of cases and hospitals that were facing a shortage of PPE,” Dr. Gilbert said. “I continue to receive calls from the Regional and District Health authorities to thank the DOD and PSI for this critical assistance.”

 

Dr. Gilbert is a Malagasy physician and public health expert who holds degrees in medicine, public health, and executive management. Since November 2018, he has served as the Chief of Party for the USAID IMPACT project, a five-year, $32 million program to improve the supply and delivery of medicines and medical materials in Madagascar.

 

This donation comes in addition to $2.5 million in emergency funding already provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to support the Government of Madagascar’s response to COVID-19 and the repurposing of $2.2 million worth of USAID health projects to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. government is the largest single-country donor to Madagascar’s health sector, providing $72 million in 2020 alone, as well as the largest donor to COVAX, an initiative to distribute COVID-19 vaccines globally and equitably, with a commitment of $4 billion.