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Malaria Knowledge Programme: Gender Perspectives

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The Malaria Knowledge Programme (MKP) at the Liverpool School of Tropical Hygiene used interpersonal communication in an effort to transform people’s vulnerability to malaria into resilience. In the Volta Region of Ghana, the MKP team trained district-level health workers to carry out qualitative and participatory research on gender equity aspects to health care for malaria.
Communication Strategies

This initiative used training as a tool to control malaria by building the capacity of local health workers to carry out gender-focused participatory communication and research with community members. District-level workers and community members addressed women’s decision making roles through meetings with opinion leaders and involvement of community members in role-plays and drama. These strategies focus on stimulating thinking among community members about gender issues in access to health care for children with malaria.

Specifically, the following activities were carried out:

  • Participatory and qualitative research techniques such as participatory rural appraisal (PRA), informal interviewing, role-play and drama were used to gather information about women’s and men’s access to healthcare for malaria.
  • District-level workers offered feedback on the situational analysis and research findings through drama and role-play.
  • District-level workers and communities jointly planned activities such as improving financial access to health care through mutual health organisations and providing community education on the treatment of malaria through meetings with different community groups.


Click here for more information about the project outputs.

Development Issues

Malaria, Gender

Key Points

The MKP's work on gender and vulnerability is designed to contribute to a growing body of knowledge on the importance of including gender analysis in malaria management.

Partners

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK Department for International Development (DFID), The Volta Regional Health Administration.

Sources

Correspondence with Alison Dunn and The Malaria Knowledge Programme website; email from Rachel Tolhurst to The Communication Initiative on February 14 2006; and Healthlink Worldwide website.