The United States Embassy and the ExxonMobil Foundation announced today, as part of World Malaria Day activities, a partnership towards the fight against malaria, and other mosquito-borne illnesses, in Angola. This public-private partnership, by ExxonMobil and being implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), benefits communities across Angola with a focus on the provision of basic training in laboratory diagnosis for malaria for laboratory technicians working in provincial and municipal health centers in Benguela, Huambo, Zaire, Uige, Huila, Malanje, Cwanza Norte and Cwanza Sul provinces. The project plans to print and distribute 23.000 training packages for laboratory training for distribution to health facilities, training schools, and teaching institutions.
To mark the “World Malaria Day (April 25th)”, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited (Esso Angola) in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the National Malaria Control Program, the U.S. Embassy, USAID and World Learning, have officially offered a contribution of $500.000 towards malaria and yellow fever efforts. Planned objectives include producing laboratory manuals for quality parasitology based diagnosis of malaria, and providing basic training in the practice of microscopy for laboratory technicians and basic and advanced training of Trainers in laboratory diagnosis. This will primarily affect 30 teachers/instructors from eight technical schools for health in eight provinces.
Managing Director of Esso Angola, Mr. Staale Gjervik, underlined that “ExxonMobil and the U.S. Government, through USAID and the President’s Malaria Initiative, have been working hand in hand to maximize joint investments in malaria eradication by ensuring a more sustainable approach to the fight against malaria and other mosquito borne illnesses through capacity building of the Ministry of Health to ensure consistent and reliable diagnosis for malaria.”
U.S. Ambassador, Helen La Lime, declared that, “this partnership is an example of what we would like to have with many other private companies here in Angola. In addition to USG’s assistance to fight malaria, we also providing One ($1) million dollars, through USAID, to purchase vaccines against yellow fever and technical assistance via CDC. In countries with tropical environment, such as Angola, it is important to fight mosquitoes borne diseases, including yellow fever, malaria and dengue.”
The U.S. government, through USAID and the President’s Malaria Initiative, has invested $273 million towards malaria control and prevention since 2005, implementing its projects through Management Sciences for Health, Population Services International, World Learning, JHPIEGO through Johns Hopkins University, and Abt Associates. In 2016, ExxonMobil Foundation will invest a total of $1.8 million towards Angola’s fight against malaria and other mosquito borne illnesses. Since 2001, ExxonMobil has invested over $28 million towards malaria eradication in Angola, through its various community partners, such as Development Aid from People to People Angola (ADPP), Africare, CORE Group, The Mentor Initiative, and USAID.
