Contacts: In Washington: Beldina Auma (202) 458-7307 baumaowuor@worldbank.org In Benin: Karim Olayinka Okanla (229) 30 58 57 or 30 33 28 kokanla@worldbank.org WASHINGTON, June 1, 2006 – The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved an International Development Association (IDA) grant of US$31 million to Benin for a Malaria Control Project. The grant makes Benin the seventh country to benefit from the World Bank’s Booster Program for Malaria Control in Africa in less than a year. Malaria is the leading cause of death among children in Benin and the leading cause of illness among adults. While Benin has made substantial progress in fighting malaria, registering successes at district level, a nationwide scale-up with proven strategies has yet to be attempted. The Malaria Control Booster Project will support implementation of the Government of Benin’s 2006-2010 Roll Back Malaria Strategic Plan, which aims to cut the country’s malaria burden in half. Key areas that will be supported include malaria treatment capacity principally in the public health sector and non-government organization for the pregnant women and children under 5 years of age, scaling up malaria prevention activities by large-scale distribution of long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets to vulnerable populations, strengthening national monitoring and evaluation system, and capacity development of both public and non-public sector. Improving access among the poor to long-lasting treated bed nets and effective treatment will receive priority attention. “Our rationale for supporting this important project is really quite simple,” said Diarietou Gaye, World Bank Country Manager for Benin “Malaria places an unacceptable tax on development in Benin. While we seek to support the country more broadly through the Poverty Reduction Support Credit, it was clear that malaria needed specific attention to bring down the burden of disease.” While the project aims to support rapid coverage increases, it also places emphasis on the sustainability of success, such as through the development of public-private partnerships to increase prevention and treatment coverage for vulnerable and rural groups. In addition, support will be provided to strengthen training institutes and universities, such as a diploma program in entomology, to build malaria control capacity in Benin. An area of key importance is the expansion of prompt access to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), particularly among children under five years of age, which is the age group at greatest risk of dying without rapid treatment. As ACTs are expanded, the Bank will support the Government of Benin to closely monitor drug resistance. “What’s particularly important to note about this project is the way in which other partners have rallied around the opportunity,” said Nadeem Mohammad, World Bank Task Team Leader for the Malaria Control Project. “Without the support of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, particularly the strong technical leadership provided by the World Health Organization’s office in Benin and a strong malaria control team in the Ministry of Health, it would not have been possible to prepare this project. With the real work ahead of us now, we’ll be counting on continued support from all partners”
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