US pledges malaria aid to Zimbabwe

The US government is to give vital assistance to the fight against the spread of malaria in Zimbabwe.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is to partly fund a programme of indoor spraying in support of existing measures which are being threatened by the economic turmoil currently enveloping the country.

The agency said: "To help mitigate a malaria outbreak, USAID is supporting emergency indoor residual spraying to fill gaps in the country's traditionally strong malaria control programme.

"Timing is critical; in most years spraying should be completed by December. But Zimbabwe's national malaria program lacks the financial resources to achieve three-quarters of its scheduled spraying, which would target 20 high-risk districts and protect more than 400,000 households."

The $200,000 worth of assistance is being contributed alongside £200,000 of help from the UK government and will see insecticides administered in February and March before the peak season in April and May.