East African Business Week

 The inclusion of indoor residual spraying (IRS) in comprehensive malaria control programs was the focus of an international private-sector workshop convened by GBCHealth and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM). The two-day workshop, which took place last week in Johannesburg, expand ed public-private partnerships for malaria control, particularly IRS, in efforts to end malaria deaths in Africa and elsewhere.
IRS—a highly effective method of malaria control—is a key anti-malaria intervention recommended by the World Health Organization.
 By spraying small amounts of human-and environment-safe insecticides to the inside walls of houses, IRS can help protect residents from malarial infection for up to one year.
Many African countries are currently scaling up the use of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), and several private sector companies are also beginning to use IRS in their malaria control programs.
The two day workshop provided business leaders with a unique opportunity to learn from leading international experts about running a successful IRS campaign—an effort that requires considerable planning and research.
"This private sector IRS workshop is an excellent example of how the private sector is successfully working with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and the governments of malaria-endemic countries to save lives from an entirely preventable and curable disease," said GBCHealth managing director Michael Schreibera.