Zimbabwe Assistance Program in Malaria (ZAPIM) Quarterly Report October 1–December 31, 2020

The program, which began in 2015, is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Abt Associates. The program's primary objective is to strengthen the capacity of the Zimbabwean National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) to prevent and control malaria. In the first quarter of 2020, ZAPIM continued to support the NMCP in implementing various interventions to control malaria. One of the key activities was the remote mentorship program, which provided technical support to health workers in remote areas. The program reached 1,200 health workers, including 500 nurses and 700 community health workers. The remote mentorship program was instrumental in ensuring continuity of malaria services during the COVID-19 pandemic. ZAPIM also supported the NMCP in conducting training programs for health workers on malaria case management and malaria in pregnancy. The training programs were conducted in Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East provinces, and a total of 1,200 health workers were trained. The training programs focused on improving the skills of health workers in diagnosing and treating malaria, as well as providing care to pregnant women. In addition to the training programs, ZAPIM supported the NMCP in distributing long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) to vulnerable populations. The program delivered over 1 million LLINs to district holding points and distribution facilities, and a total of 750,000 LLINs were distributed to beneficiaries. The program also supported the development of an electronic reporting system to track LLIN distribution and ensure that the nets were being used correctly. The program also supported the NMCP in conducting social and behavioral change (SBC) activities to promote the use of LLINs and other malaria prevention measures. The SBC activities included the development of a malaria elimination leaflet, a LLIN promotional video, and support for the NMCP's rebranding efforts. The program also supported the development of a community SBC strategy, which aimed to promote the use of LLINs and other malaria prevention measures among vulnerable populations. In terms of monitoring and evaluation, ZAPIM supported the NMCP in conducting various activities to track the progress of the program. The program conducted a midterm evaluation, which revealed a 27% decrease in malaria cases among children under 5 years of age in Chapoto Ward. The program also conducted a routine evaluation of an audio book in Chikunda language, which was used to promote malaria prevention measures among vulnerable populations. The program also supported the NMCP in conducting a malaria elimination review and planning meeting, which aimed to review the progress of the program and plan for future activities. The meeting was attended by representatives from the NMCP, ZAPIM, and other stakeholders, and it provided an opportunity for the stakeholders to discuss the challenges and lessons learned from the program. In terms of gender, the program supported the NMCP in conducting activities to promote the involvement of women in malaria prevention and control efforts. The program conducted a gender analysis, which revealed that women played a critical role in promoting the use of LLINs and other malaria prevention measures among vulnerable populations. In terms of environmental compliance, the program supported the NMCP in conducting activities to ensure that the program was environmentally sustainable. The program conducted a medical waste management assessment, which revealed that the program was in compliance with environmental regulations. The program also supported the development of a management plan for public health medicines and commodities. Overall, the ZAPIM program has made significant progress in reducing malaria cases in Zimbabwe. The program's interventions have been instrumental in improving the capacity of the NMCP to prevent and control malaria, and the program's SBC activities have promoted the use of LLINs and other malaria prevention measures among vulnerable populations.