Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo – The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has the second highest number of malaria cases and deaths globally, and accounts for more than 12 percent of the world’s malaria deaths every year. Malaria is the leading cause of death in the DRC, with over 27 million cases and over 24 thousand deaths every year. Since November 2010, the United States has partnered with the government of the DRC to protect the Congolese people from malaria and foster healthy communities. Through the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has contributed approximately $650 million over the past 14 years. Investments in malaria tests, medicines, and prevention tools, such as insecticide-treated nets, save lives and protect those at greatest risk from the disease, i.e., pregnant women and children.
Thanks to the generosity of the American people, more than 45 million people in the DRC receive lifesaving support to prevent or treat malaria each year. In the last year, PMI provided three million bed nets, five million doses for prevention of malaria in pregnancy, 12 million rapid diagnostic tests, one million doses of fast-acting malaria treatment, and over two million doses of medicine for complicated malaria cases. USAID also trained more than 360 health providers and 1,300 community health workers in malaria detection and treatment to improve local knowledge and skills to provide lifesaving care in their communities. Everyone has a role to play in eliminating malaria in the DRC, from the government to the community.
At a World Malaria Day event in Muanda, the USAID Mission Director John Dunlop emphasized the importance of U.S.-DRC collaboration:
“The DRC is the key to a malaria-free generation – the world cannot get rid of malaria without the DRC. The United States will continue to stand alongside you in this effort as we have for the last 14 years. I encourage the Ministry of Health, National Malaria Control Program, and Provincial Governors to match U.S. investments by increasing domestic contributions to malaria control, and to ensure there are enough resources to finally control malaria and to decrease transmission and deaths.”
U.S. Global PMI Coordinator Dr. David Walton said,
“I commend the energy, dedication, and ingenuity of those working on the front lines to protect their communities from malaria. The United States is committed to working hand in hand with the people of DRC as we pursue our joint vision of a malaria-free future.”
About PMI: The U.S. President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) supports 27 partner countries in sub-Saharan Africa and three programs across the Greater Mekong Subregion in Southeast Asia to control and eliminate malaria. Led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented together with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PMI delivers cost-effective, lifesaving malaria interventions—such as insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, and essential medicines—and invests in health workers and health systems to accelerate the global fight against this deadly disease.