The Malaria Safe Playbook: A Resource Guide in the Fight Against Malaria

This 12-page playbook compiled by the United Against Malaria (UAM) partnership is a collection of resources and best practices to encourage organisations to fight malaria as a critical development issue. The UAM partnership, which uses football as a catalyst, strives to build support for universal access to mosquito nets and malaria medicine in Africa. The partnership comprises football clubs, private sector companies, government and non-governmental organisations, and sports and entertainment personalities. The playbook includes communication tools, informational guides, and contacts for decision-makers in the public and private sectors. Its resources are built on an understanding of the four pillars of the campaign: • Education – teaching people about malaria • Protection – providing tools to protect people from malaria infection and its effects • Visibility – building the prominence of the brand and the partnership • Advocacy – using all these elements to expand the partnership and encourage advocacy The communication strategies encouraged by the playbook include workplace training sessions and staff meetings where trained health care professionals can answer questions about malaria. The playbook also encourages employers to use in-house magazines, newsletters, intranets, bulletin boards, and posters to disseminate information about malaria. Other communication strategies recommended for organisations and companies related to prevention include: encouraging the provision of two long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) per employee, providing nets, string, nails, and trained volunteers to conduct house visits and assist vulnerable groups in hanging their nets; and regularly sending health staff to malaria control programmes for training in diagnostics and treatment, as well as to set up confidential services to assist people living with HIV. The playbook encourages users to increase the visibility of their anti-malaria drives though the use of banners, t-shirts, text messages, radio commercials, and sporting events, and a myriad different communication strategies. The playbook encourages individuals and organisations to promote advocacy for behaviour change to combat malaria by enlisting credible and recognisable malaria control champions and respected celebrities and by tailoring their anti-malaria messages to suit the needs of their audiences. The playbook provides a link to the Malaria Free Future website, where organisations and individuals can download further resource materials for malaria prevention, such as drawings, leaflets, posters, banners, and billboards that can be adapted to local contexts. Other resources include strategies for indoor residual spraying and malaria treatment in pregnancy. This website also includes factsheets on prevention tools, success stories and case studies, and useful contacts by country for net suppliers.