The Stop Malaria Project

To achieve its objectives, the project is working to reach 85% coverage for children under five years of age, pregnant women, and people living with HIV/AIDS using preventive and therapeutic interventions. These interventions include: Artemesinin-based Combination Therapy (ACTs) for treatment of uncomplicated malaria, Intermittent Presumptive Treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp), and Long-lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLINs).

As a first step, rapid assessments were conducted in 13 districts, who were then assisted to prepare work plans. Structured learning materials were designed for on-site IPTp updates and updates carried out in all health centers in the 13 districts. According to CCP, the project also strengthened the capacity of the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) through an assessment of data management needs, and information technology equipment procurement. After developing a 5 year communication strategy, the project partners embarked on various activities, including raising awareness and encouraging behaviour change.

Led by Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU), community mobilisation is being undertaken using the village health team (VHT) strategy developed by the Uganda Ministry of Health. This community-based structure is designed to deliver basic health care services to households and the entire Ugandan community, whereby information related to health is shared among the community members. As an entry point into the community, VHTs are used to address health concerns including prevention and promoting treatment seeking behaviours. In order to implement the strategy smoothly, different stake holders at various levels namely: district, sub-county, parish, and village level were sensitised about the VHT intervention prior to selection and training to encourage participation and ownership of the initiative by the community. According to CDFU, local council leaders and health assistants who are part of the training process played a critical role in supporting VHTs carry out their activities. During training, VHTs were provided with reference materials that they used during ìhouse to houseî visits and community sensitisation meetings. Issues addressed by VHTs include early treatment seeking behaviour, Intermittent Preventive Treatment during pregnancy (IPTp), consistent use of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets, and male involvement.

The project is also seeking to reach children aged 5-12 through and school-based "Stop Malaria in Your Community" campaign, designed to teach children about how malaria is transmitted and what they and their families can do about it. The students create skits, songs, poems, and drawings which are shared in assemblies and displayed in their classrooms as reference materials. For example, one poem penned by the students describes how Mr. Mosquito sends his wife, Anophele, to visit houses and make people sick. The Stop Malaria Project aids schools and community groups in developing simple action plans to send out messages about the importance of sleeping under a net every night, seeking early treatment for fevers, preventing malaria during pregnancy, and involving men in preventing malaria.

Another communication strategy being used is the production of interactive radio programmes designed to increase in the proportion of households sleeping under an LLIN every night. This has included providing key content fact sheets for presenters. These fact sheets and other project materials can be found on the CCP website.

Malaria

According to CCP, in the first two years of implementation, the Stop Malaria Project and its partners have distributed nearly 3 million nets in 13 districts and have trained nearly 670 health workers in 23 districts to prevent malaria during pregnancy. These interventions have contributed to an increase in the national coverage of IPTp which is now estimated at 32% (MIS 2009) compared to the baseline of 16% (UDHS 2006).