Antananarivo, Madagascar:   USAID/Madagascar announced a five-year $36 million health program on February 28. The new Integrated Social Marketing Program (ISM), implemented by PSI Madagascar nationwide, will improve people’s health and increase the use of health products and services.

The main objective of the new program is to use social marketing principles to improve the health of the Malagasy people, particularly vulnerable groups such as children below 5 years, women of reproductive age, youth between 15-24 years, and people living in underserved areas. PSI will closely collaborate with national and international NGOs and development programs to increase the supply of health products and services throughout the country, and to expand its activities in the rural areas.

“PSI and USAID share a vision: to improve the health of vulnerable Malagasy families. Over the next five years, our wish is that these families know, want and are able to improve their health,” Chuck Szymanski, PSI/Madagascar country Representative explained.

Under this new program, interpersonal communications for peer educators and community workers, radio messaging and mobile video will help strengthen behavior change communication; a broader service mix will contribute to improve the quality of health services in “Top Reseau” social franchises; and franchised clinics will be extended to reach the underserved rural areas. The franchised network, with a current membership of 213 private clinics, will be expanded to include 40 new rural and 20 urban clinics. The program will also work to increase coverage and distribution of health products in the rural areas, provide training to supply-point managers and community health workers, and improve the access to private and community health services.

This new US Government program is consistent with the commitment of the American people to provide assistance to the most vulnerable in Madagascar. This new initiative is part of the US Government’s humanitarian assistance to the Malagasy people. The United States has been supporting the development of the Malagasy people for the last 27 years, especially in public health. This year, USAID is providing over $66 million of assistance to the Malagasy people with programs that include investments in health, food security, and water and sanitation programs.