In March 2022, the USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project delivered more than three million long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets (LLINs) in Angola. This U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) will benefit about 6.2 million people in Malanje, Cuanza Norte, Lunda Sul, Lunda Norte, Uíge, and Zaire provinces. In April 2022, GHSC-PSM worked closely with the Angola Ministry of Health’s (MOH) National Malaria Control Program to distribute mosquito nets to the six provinces. More than 2.5 million malaria cases were diagnosed in Angola during the first quarter of 2022. The national coordinator of the National Malaria Control Program, José Martins, reported an increase of 24 percent over the same period in 2021.
GHSC-PSM procured more than three million LLINs, ensuring these cost-effective, life-saving nets were ready for distribution. The project worked with local logistics companies to manage the storage and distribution of the bed nets, a big operation that comprises a shipment of 90 forty-foot shipping containers. Close coordination with private sector partners and local government helped the campaign succeed.
The bed nets were ready for central warehousing after a competitive procurement process with third-party logistics companies, followed by provincial warehousing and distribution to municipalities by Population Services International (PSI). Cani Jorge, the MOH's campaign coordinator, and Ferreira Manzambi, the National Malaria Control logistician, were amazed that it was possible to reach even the most difficult-to-reach areas.
Delivery companies overcame weather and transportation challenges to ensure that every family received at least one net to protect them from malaria Thanks to good coordination and communication between partners, the project has pre-positioned bed nets to ensure that distribution to communities ran smoothly and efficiently.
