Malawi Malaria Communication Strategy
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Date
2015-01-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Malawi Government
Abstract
Malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Malawi majorly
affecting children below five years of age and pregnant women. While this remains
the case, the Government of Malawi is scaling up interventions aimed at controlling
this situation through increasing access to malaria control intervention that include:
the distribution of Long Lasting Insecticide treated Nets (LLINs), scaling up indoor
residual house spraying (IRS) in selected districts, promoting the prevention of
malaria during pregnancy through Intermittent Presumptive Treatment of malaria in
pregnancy (IPTp) and increasing access to prompt diagnosis and effective malaria
treatment at facility level.
Recent studies have gathered evidence that despite the provision of these
services, utilization of the same has not been optimum hence malaria continues to
remain a problem in the country. It is in recognition of this that the Malawi’s Ministry
of Health through the National Malaria Control Program has continued to invest
in public information and education through the development of the Malaria
Communication Strategy. The first generation of the communication strategy
ended in 2014 giving rise to the review and re-writing of this second generation of
the communication strategy for the period 2015 – 2020.
The communication strategy is a guiding document for all partners to implement a
unified and cohesive communication plan and allow for complementing programs
among partners. The main focus of the strategy is to create social and behaviour
change by examining barriers as to why individuals and communities are not
adopting actions and behaviour that contribute to the prevention and treatment of
malaria. Through this approach, we are able to devise innovative communication
approaches to tackle the barriers.
I am honoured that the Ministry of Health through the National Malaria Control
Program recognized the need for consistency and coordination among partners
implementing malaria behaviour change communication programs and involved
them in the process of review and re-writing of this communication strategy. It is
my belief that the strategy will play a critical role in increasing knowledge, attitude
and practices towards malaria prevention and treatment and supporting our vision
where “All people in Malawi are free from the burden of malaria”.