An IRS spray operator treats the interior of a home.

For Immediate Release

August 18, 2011

BETHESDA, MD — Abt Associates, a leader in international health and development, has been awarded a $189 million contract to implement a malaria prevention program in up to 17 African countries in collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The program known as Indoor Residual Spraying, or IRS, will enable Abt to expand its life-saving efforts around malaria prevention and control over the next three years while supporting the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI). The 17 countries covered by PMI activities are Angola, Benin, DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

“Abt Associates is honored to have this opportunity to positively impact the lives of millions of people in Africa through improved and expanded malaria prevention that builds on our successes with IRS in Uganda and Zambia,” said David McGuire, Division Vice President, International Private Sector Health Systems.

Indoor Residual Spraying, or IRS, is a highly effective malaria prevention method that involves the coordinated, timely spraying of the interior walls of homes with insecticides that are harmless to humans and animals. In Uganda, Abt has succeeded in treating 99% of targeted households while saving $2.4 million in annual operating costs. In Zambia, Abt is working closely with the Government of Zambia to build local capacity to carry out IRS operations.

“Our staff is committed to producing immediate public health impact as well as building the local capacity to sustain that impact beyond the life of the project,” said McGuire.

Malaria is a preventable and treatable infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes that kills more than one million people each year, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria is the leading cause of death for children under five. Because malaria is a global emergency that affects mostly poor women and children, malaria perpetuates a vicious cycle of poverty in the developing world. Malaria-related illnesses and mortality cost Africa’s economy alone $12 billion per year.

“We are passionate about improving the lives of the vulnerable throughout the world, and this project will allow us to do that on a massive scale in support of USAID/PMI and in collaboration with malaria control programs in each target country,” added McGuire.

This contract will be implemented with the support of Abt partners RTT Group Ltd., a proven provider of supply chain expertise to USAID, and Cultural Practice, LLC, a woman-owned small business that will assist with gender integration. Abt’s regional resource groups in Senegal and Kenya will be building links with the PMI country programs to ensure access to regional and local technical capacity over the long-term.

PMI, a five-year, $1.2 billion commitment of U.S. government resources to reduce the burden of malaria and relieve poverty in Africa, is a key component of the Global Health Initiative, which was announced by President Obama in May 2009.

About Abt Associates

Abt Associates is a mission-driven, global leader in research and program implementation in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, and international development. Known for its rigorous approach to solving complex challenges, Abt Associates was ranked as one of the top 20 global research firms in 2011 and also named one of the top 40 international development innovators. The company has multiple offices in the U.S. and program offices in nearly 40 countries.

CONTACT:

Sandy Cogan, (301) 347-5913

Bradford Lucas, (301) 347-5666