ANTANANARIVO — The United States government has introduced its second major health program of the year, officially launching activities for the Improving Market Partnership and Access to Commodities Together (IMPACT) program, in partnership with Madagascar’s Ministry of Public Health. 

IMPACT is a five-year, $32 million program to improve the supply and delivery of medicines and medical materials.  The program will strengthen supply chain systems for U.S.-funded maternal and child health, malaria, and family planning activities.

“The IMPACT program will ensure medicines and medical supplies get where they are needed; even to the most remote places.  So when a doctor needs a box of medicine to save a life, or a community health volunteer needs a vaccine to protect a child, it will be there,” declared Michael P. Pelletier, the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Madagascar, at the launch event.

The Minister of Public Health, Prof. Julio Rakotonirina, welcomed the initiative and warmly thanked the United States government for its continuous support to the Malagasy people.  Prof. Rakotonirina then officially declared the start of the IMPACT program.

The IMPACT program aims to sustainably improve the health of the Malagasy population by reliably supplying quality healthcare supplies.  IMPACT will cover 13 of the country’s 22 regions, ten regions where health activities are supported by USAID and three regions supported by the World Bank, providing supplies for malaria, family planning, and maternal and child health activities.  The program is led by PSI Madagascar with support from PATH, Management Sciences for Health (MSH), Banyan Global, and the Telma Foundation.

The program will use a ‘total market approach’, which involves working with both the private and public sectors, thereby strengthening the entire health system and providing people with more options and better services to meet their health care needs.

Last week, the U.S. government launched ACCESS, a five-year, $90-million health project.  The IMPACT program will support the health care delivery activities of the ACCESS program.

About USAID Madagascar

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the U.S. Government’s preeminent foreign assistance agency. USAID Madagascar officially opened its field office in September of 1984. In 2018, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provided approximately $80 million in development assistance plus $24.5 million in emergency assistance to the Malagasy people, with programs that include investments in health, food security, environment, and governance programs.  For more information on USAID Madagascar and our projects, visit www.usaid.gov/madagascar.