US President’s Malaria Initiative for States (PMI-S) Project

US President’s Malaria Initiative for States (PMI-S) Project

Addressing Malaria During Pregnancy

Malaria is common among pregnant women in Nigeria, which increases the risk of maternal anemia, low birth weight, premature delivery, stillbirth, and death in infants. When first-time mother Mfon became pregnant, she worried about becoming ill with malaria, having known friends who had lost their baby or had a premature birth. She visited a primary health center in Akwa Ibom state, where PMI-S works to maintain a steady supply of medicines for the prevention of malaria and trains health workers to counsel pregnant women on the importance of taking preventive medications during pregnancy and administering the right dosage. Following the advice she received, Mfon delivered a healthy baby without any complications of malaria.

A woman lies with her baby under a mosquito net.
I appreciate the health care workers here for giving me the support I needed to have a malaria-free pregnancy and a healthy baby.
Mfon
,
28-year-old first-time mother
A woman takes the medication she is given by a health workers.
We provide preventive medications to pregnant women while observing them directly…This process is repeated five times beginning from the second trimester of pregnancy. These medications help prevent malaria in pregnancy while also protecting the development of the baby.
Health care worker
,
Primary Health Center Ukanafun

Overview

The US President’s Malaria Initiative for States (PMI-S) project is USAID Nigeria and PMI’s flagship project to reduce malaria mortality and morbidity in Nigeria. The project supports the Government of Nigeria through its agencies at the federal, state, local government area, and community levels to improve the quality of and access to services for the prevention and management of malaria and its complications. PMI-S contributes to the National Malaria Elimination Program’s (NMEP) vision of achieving a malaria-free Nigeria, and to the PMI Strategy 2015–2020 goal to further reduce deaths and decrease morbidity toward the long-term goal of elimination. The goal of PMI-S is to contribute to the reduction of all causes of under-five and maternal mortality by delivering quality services for the management of malaria and its complications and the prevention of malaria during pregnancy.

The four main objectives of PMI-S are to: 

  • Improve the quality of and access to comprehensive malaria case management services
  • Improve evidence for decision-making
  • Improve drug-based malaria prevention and treatment approaches
  • Strengthen existing health systems and improve NMEP management.
Uchenna Nwokenna, Deputy Country Director
Uchenna Nwokenna

Country Director

Project Contact

Uchenna Nwokenna, is a public health professional with over 25 years of combined experience in clinical medicine, global public health, surveillance and control of infectious diseases, and supply chain management, pharmaco-epidemiology, drug safety, pharmacovigilance, and regulatory affairs. Nwokenna has extensive experience in public sector health program management, health systems strengthening, and epidemiology in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Over the years, he has worked with various development partners, such as USAID, UNDP, UNOPS, CDC, UNAIDS, WHO, and The Global Fund on large-scale transformations related to organizational health and operational performance. Prior to joining MSH, he served as the Deputy Regional Program Director on the Regional Action through Data (RAD) project. Nwokenna holds M.Sc. degrees in Health Planning and Management and Environmental Microbiology from the University of Benin, Edo State, and another M.Sc. degree in Epidemiology from the University of London, UK.

Donors & Partners

Donors

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI)

Partners

Banyan Global

ThinkWell

Nigerian Interfaith Action Association

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