Independent evaluation of PMI presented to U.S. Congress

The Center for Global Health and Development (CGHD) at Boston University on Thursday delivered its report (.pdf) on the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), released in February, to the U.S. Congress, IIP Digital reports, noting the "independent evaluation team finds that the [PMI] has been 'very successful' in reducing children's deaths from the mosquito-borne parasitic disease, but also warns that the program must gear up if those gains are to be sustained." The news service adds, "The CGHD report recommends a re-evaluation of malaria prevention methods, including insecticide use, which, the researchers find, covers a fraction of the at-risk population at a high cost" (6/6).

"In addition to recommending additional resources, the report says that to improve the program's efficiency and effectiveness, there is a high-priority need to clarify interagency leadership roles," Boston University's "BU Today" notes, adding, "Ongoing success, the team concludes in its report, will be expensive and require continued commitments from international donors and participating countries" (Chedekel, 6/5). "Regarding the future, the researchers suggest that fiscal difficulties affecting even the world's strongest economies may bring a slowdown in health aid to developing countries. In view of that prospect, the report cites 'a profound imperative' for programs to operate in the most cost-effective way possible," IIP Digital writes (6/6).