The Need Concerted Measures to Combat Disease With its tropical rainforest going over into savannah, northeastern DRC is characterised by stagnant water that encourages the proliferation of mosquitoes. In addition, many people are unaware of prevention methods against malaria and they lack individual protection against mosquitoes. Communities need to increase their participation rate in prevention measures. People living in the isolated districts of Haut-Uélé and Bas- Uélé receive very little humanitarian help, and in Ituri, in the health zone of Nyankunde, malaria is the primary cause of infant and juvenile morbidity and mortality. Malaria is responsible for a majority of outpatient visits and nearly half of all deaths among children under five. Very few pregnant women receive the early treatment they need to protect themselves or their babies from the dangerous effects of this disease. Another critical factor is the dilapidated health system in DRC. Basic infrastructure is in need of repair and ongoing maintenance. The health system needs more diagnostic tools and a better- qualified staff – trained to deal with malaria – who can provide pregnant women with early access to antenatal care. Health structures need systematic supervision at an executive level to ensure that the system is constantly monitored and evaluated. Our Response Better Individual Protection, Health Care, and Training Our proposal targets seven health zones located in the districts of Ituri, Haut-Uélé, and Bas-Uélé. By June 2009, Medair will improve and promote sanitation around and inside of homes in this mosquito-infested region. Medair will also distribute thousands of long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) for those most at risk of death from malaria, namely children under five and pregnant women. Through improved diagnostic tools and training, Medair will ensure that malarial diagnoses and treatments are provided to at least 80 percent of patients in accordance with national guidelines. Using the intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) strategy, Medair will be able to protect at least 80 percent of pregnant women with medicine against malaria. In addition, Medair’s community training and sensitisation projects will vastly improve local knowledge about malaria, particularly how it can be prevented or treated. With Your Support Simply put, this project will save the lives of countless children and pregnant women across the region. The project will also improve the health status of the population as a whole by restoring and improving a health-care infrastructure that has been severely affected by decades of war, an ongoing socio-economic crisis, and continued localised conflicts. It is possible to make a significant impact here – the health system has been improving and very good results have been seen already. We expect that this project will directly improve the lives of over 400,000 people across the seven health zones, with an indirect benefit to another 700,000 people through community-based training. These efforts will empower the local population to reduce the incidence of malaria in the region, not only today, but with sustainability for tomorrow. The total budget for this project is US$1,566,000. Most of this amount has already been granted by governmental humanitarian aid organisations, but we are still seeking private support in the amount of US$ 292,000. This level of private support will enable us to meet our total budget target and complete this life-saving project.