Expectant mothers receive long lasting insectide nets at public health clinic in Benin. Since 2007, USAID has provided over 5.8 million nets to pregnant women and children under five at prenatal care and vaccination services nationwide.

Photo credit: ARM3/MCDI

USAID/Benin’s five year health strategy for 2015-2020 is focused on reducing preventable deaths among vulnerable populations in Benin. We focus on improving the utilization of a package of high impact interventions in the areas of malaria, maternal and child health, family planning and HIV/AIDS. Our current activities include:

Advancing access to newborn, child and reproductive health:

Activities support the Ministry of Health in scaling up proven health interventions that reduce avoidable deaths and address maternal, newborn, and child health challenges. Interventions strengthen the broader health system to ensure sustainability and government ownership.

Reduction of malaria morbidity and mortality:

Activities help reduce malaria by combining prevention and treatment activities, including: bed net distribution and social marketing, case management of simple and complicated malaria in young children, intermittent prevention of malaria in pregnant mothers, and improved malaria diagnosis with both microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests. Funds also support the National Malaria Control Program in implementing reforms that improve the health commodity supply chain system.

Community Delivery of High Impact Health Services:

Through local Beninese NGOs, the reach of health services at the community level is improved by building and expanding a strong network of skilled community health workers capable of treating common childhood illnesses and providing health education at the grassroots level across ten health zones nationwide.

Strengthening National Malaria Information System:

Through a direct agreement with the National Malaria Control Program, USAID/Benin supports the collection, validation and publication of routine malaria data reported from public and private health facilities nationwide. Further, enhanced monitoring of epidemiological and entomological data is in place in northern Benin to support vector control intervention planning.

Health commodities systems strengthening:

USAID/Benin supports the procurement and systems management of key life-saving commodities, such as: bed nets, malaria test kits, artemisinin-based combination treatments and family planning supplies.

Indoor residual spraying:

In partnership with the National Malaria Control Program, this activity aims to reduce the cases of malaria by strengthening the country’s capacity to spray structures and homes in targeted regions during peak seasons. USAID’s pilot spraying programs are a stepping stone to building Benin’s ability implement more far reaching vector control activities.

Reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS among key populations along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor:

These activities involve a multi-country, cross-border approach to reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS along the highly traveled roads that connect Cote D’Ivoire with Nigeria. Interventions focus on key populations that maintain disproportionately high levels of HIV prevalence rates.