USAID, in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) and the Provincial Health Department (DPS) of Bié Province, held the official launch of a communication campaign on July 17, 2015 to promote the use of mosquito nets.

The launch took place at the Polytechnic Institute of Bié in Cuito and included representatives of the USAID/The President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), the NMCP, the Bie Provincial Health Directorate (DPS), other bilateral partners of malaria control, and the media.

This campaign is part of the support given by USAID/PMI to the NMCP to implement its strategy of reducing the malaria incidence rate in the country. This support reinforces actions for prevention that also include the free distribution of bed nets.  In 2014, the province of Bie received 876,226 nets from USAID that benefitted 1,586,544 people.

The communication campaign called, "I am Mother. I protect my Baby,"  targets female caretakers of children under five years of age in rural and peri-urban areas. The campaign will take place from the period of July 2015 to September 2016 and be implemented in the provinces of Bié, Huambo, Malange, Uige, and Benguela.

The communication strategy involves interpersonal and mass communication with efforts activities such as house-to-house visits, educational lectures, testimonials on the radio, and community meetings to create support and motivation for adopting the use of bed nets. 

The communication campaign will cover the nine municipalities in Bie Province.