MasiMax and Partners Aid White House and USAID in Efforts to Control Malaria

The communications team of the Analysis, Information Management, and Communications (AIM) Activity recently assisted the White House Summit on Malaria with publications and Web site support. At the Summit, which took place December 14 at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., President Bush announced eight new countries identified as focus countries of the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), an historic $1.2 billion, five-year initiative to control malaria in 15 of the highest-burden countries in Africa. AIM staff also provided event support for a post-summit briefing held at the American Red Cross on December 15, which was attended by over 200 people.

AIM is a five-year activity in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with MasiMax as the primary contractor and John Snow, Inc., ORC Marco, and Insight Systems as teaming partners. AIM provides USAID with evidence-based information and services to guide the design and management of the Agency's global health programs. AIM has been assisting USAID, which is the lead government agency for implementing PMI, with communications support for PMI since the Initiative's inception in 2005.

Malaria claims 1.2 million lives every year, and most are children under the age of 5 in sub-Saharan Africa. "Alleviating the malaria epidemic is a major thrust of the international public health community and the White House," said AIM Director Eckhard Kleinau. "As a public health-oriented consulting firm, MasiMax, and its partners, are delighted to be a part of the process that assists USAID in getting the word out about prevention and treatment. We stand with the scientific community and the administration and hope to assist USAID with its outreach efforts."

At the Summit, President Bush named Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, and Zambia as the newest PMI focus countries. The other PMI focus countries, where PMI is already at work, are Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda. In addition to announcing the latest PMI countries, the Summit provided an opportunity to discuss and highlight measures for controlling malaria and to jump-start ambitious public-private efforts to control malaria. First Lady Laura Bush also addressed the Summit, which was attended by representatives from the international global health community, including international donor agencies, African governments, nongovernmental organizations, faith-based and service organizations, multilateral institutions, foundations, and the private sector.

For the recent White House Summit, the AIM team of senior editor Chris Wharton, senior communications specialist/writer Milton Stern, senior graphic designer Matthew Baek, and desktop publisher Cindy Pak edited and formatted a fact sheet and country profiles for the 15 PMI focus countries. Josh Yospyn, AIM's manager for Web services, and his team, Jacqueline Lacy and Katie Weigle, posted several fact sheets, the country profiles, and other materials on the PMI Web site and linked to a live Webcast of the Summit. Martha Lindauer, AIM's Communications Manager, and Mark Adams, AIM's Deputy Director, ensured the overall coordination of these activities and the smooth collaboration with USAID and other contractors.

The AIM staff provided similar editorial support for USAID and the White House at an earlier announcement of PMI focus countries in June 2006 at the National Press Club. For that event, AIM staffers Martha Lindauer and Matthew Baek met with White House staff to discuss the design for the event backdrop and worked with USAID staff to design a program, fact sheet, and the country profile format.

AIM has also worked with USAID and its PMI government partners, including the State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to develop, design, and host the www.fightingmalaria.gov Web site. The site features, news, information, facts, and other materials about PMI and malaria. This website has received highest accolades from the client and many visitors, including US Senate staff.

For more information on PMI, visit www.fightingmalaria.gov and www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/malaria/.