Malaria Learning Briefs

These are 4 learning briefs that document key results, challenges and lessons learned in implementing a five-year community involvement intervention to prevent and control malaria through a combination of interventions. These interventions include, in addition to universal coverage bed net distributions, training of community health workers, health committee volunteers and teachers, as well as partnerships with local radio stations to disseminate messages on malaria prevention and control practices. This mix of interventions improved knowledge and practices for malaria prevention, treatment seeking and community management.

The project aimed to support the efforts of the Mozambican government to reduce malaria throughout the country through scale-up of prevention and control efforts with community involvement. The learning briefs cover a range of topics

The briefs are as follows:

Malaria Prevention and Control in Mozambique: scaling up for universal access with community involvement (2011-2017): This project overview provides a summary of the Malaria Prevention and Control Project in Mozambique, its objectives, strategies, and key achievements. This project sought to contribute to a reduction in the number of malaria cases in the country through a range of interventions including working with community groups, training primary school teachers, and distributing long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs).

Mobilising communities for malaria prevention and control in Mozambique: This learning brief shares Malaria Consortium’s experience in partnering with existing community structures and building the capacity of community-based volunteers to deliver key messages around malaria, to increase uptake of prevention and treatment services within communities in Mozambique. It describes the intervention, and highlights a number of important lessons and challenges, as well as the necessary next steps to maximize the impact and sustainability of this approach.

Integrating malaria education into primary school activities: This Learning Brief shares Malaria Consortium’s experience in integrating edutainment-based malaria sessions into primary school classroom activities, to provide children with a basic knowledge around malaria transmission, symptoms, prevention, and care-seeking, as part of the Malaria Prevention and Control project in Mozambique. It highlights a number of important lessons and challenges, and the necessary next steps to maximize the impact and sustainability of this approach.

Nets bring good health: a qualitative inquiry: This brief shares Malaria Consortium’s key findings from a qualitative inquiry into mosquito net use and care practices in two Northern provinces of Mozambique, Niassa and Nampula. It explores the experiences and drivers of mosquito net use, non-use or misuse, and local perceptions regarding recommended malaria prevention and control practices.

Source: Malaria Consortium

Date of Publication: March 25, 2019

Suaahara Formative Research Report

Suaahara is a 5 year, USAID-funded project designed to improve the nutrition women and children living in Nepal. Suaahara tackles undernutrition by examining the variety of factors that contribute to poor nutritional status including poor dietary intake and poor health status. Healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies is also an important part of the project given Suaahara’s mandate to reduce stunting among children and anemia and chronic energy deficiency among women.

The purpose of this formative research was to describe infant and young child feeding practices, caregiving practices and hygiene behaviors in 6 of the 20 districts in Nepal where Suaahara works. Researchers also identified determinants of those behaviors. Additionally, they identified families’ aspirations for their children. This report describes what waslearned and how th team will apply this learning to improve the nutritional status of women and children.

A full listing of current practices, barriers, target audiences and behavior change strategies appears at the end of this report and constitutes core recommendations and ways forward.

Source: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/ Center for Communication Programs

Date of Publication: March 25, 2019