GH Supports USAID Zika Outbreak Control Projects through Environmental Field Inspections

The Bureau for Global Health (GH) recently supported the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Africa Indoor Residual Spraying Project (AIRS) in evaluating vector control activities for Zika and verifying compliance with USAID’s environmental procedures and host country requirements. As part of the Zika AIRS Project (ZAP), USAID and its Implementing Partners provide technical expertise, build local governments capacity, and implement vector control interventions in response to Zika outbreaks in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). ZAP is currently implementing activities in various countries in the LAC region. To support this project, GH conducted environmental monitoring activities and field inspections to assess compliance with the environmental requirements established for ZAP and provided technical assistance where needed.

Global Environmental Management Support (GEMS II) staff conducted environmental monitoring and field inspections in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Honduras with support and participation from the Acting GH Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO), Dennis Durbin, and LAC BEO, Diana Shannon. As part of this work, GEMS II staff worked with USAID and its Implementing Partners to obtain and review documents and data related to project activities and environmental impacts. This included activities related to the procurement, storage, transportation, application, and disposal of adult insecticides and larvicides intended to reduce the transmission of the Zika virus. GEMS II staff also conducted site visits to evaluate present conditions and compliance with environmental regulatory requirements. In addition, the team conducted consultation activities with key stakeholders, including USAID Mission staff, host country government officials, and affected residents.
 
The environmental field visits also gave GH the opportunity to pilot the GH Environmental Field Inspection Checklist, which was recently developed to assist GH projects in conducting self-evaluations to determine if project activities are in compliance with applicable monitoring and reporting requirements. GEMS II staff documented the results of the field visit using the checklist, and updates were made to the checklist based on feedback received during the field inspection activities.
 
To learn more about GH’s process for monitoring environmental compliance or to request a copy of the GH Environmental Field Inspection Checklist, please contact the GEMS II GH Support Team at ghcompliancesupport@usaid.gov.  In addition, GH staff and Implementing Partnersmanaging Zika activities can contact the Acting GH BEO, Dennis Durbin, at ddurbin@usaid.gov to request environmental compliance support.