Malaria is one of the main public health threats in Equatorial Guinea, reducing life expectancy. Since 2003, Marathon Oil has supported the Bioko Island Malaria Elimination Program (BIMEP), a multi-system public health programme.
BIMEP combats malaria with a series of integrated malaria-control measures provided free of charge to all residents on Bioko Island, including distributing long-lasting insecticide nets, targeted indoor residual spraying, epidemiological surveillance, mosquito vector monitoring, communications to support behavior change and robust monitoring and evaluation systems.
With nearly two decades spent in the fight against malaria, major BIMEP accomplishments include:
- 54% reduction in the malaria parasite prevalence in children aged 2-14 years (from 45% in 2004 to 20.7% in 2021)
- 63% reduction of all-cause mortality among children under five years old (attributed mainly to malaria interventions)
- 97% reduction in the rate of transmission of the parasite by the vectors
- Elimination of one of the three main malaria vector species (An. funestus)
- 350+ Equatoguineans are employed through BIMEP's focus on building national capacity.
These outcomes led to improved institutional frameworks and infrastructure that enable the Government of Equatorial Guinea to participate in the international medical science research community.
