In this Washington Post opinion piece, columnist Michael Gerson examines anti-malaria efforts in Zambia, writing, “Zambia has been the main test case for anti-malaria efforts during the last several years — a focus of funding by the U.S. government, the [Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation] and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.” He continues, “Now the Anglican Church, international aid groups and philanthropists … are attempting to fill remaining gaps in bednet coverage in remote border areas.”

Gerson details these efforts and discusses some of the challenges programs face, noting that, “[d]espite such obstacles, anti-malaria efforts in Zambia have a history of success.” He continues, “But much of the progress against malaria [in Zambia] has been made possible by the United States, particularly through the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) — which has provided millions of nets in Zambia.” He concludes, “In much of sub-Saharan Africa, the American image is now defined by the Peace Corps, by PMI and by PEPFAR, the American AIDS relief plan. It is a form of influence that is hard to measure or weigh. But people remember when you help to save their children” (4/5).