General Information
Donors: The Global Fund, The Regional Artemisinin-resistance Initiative (RAI)
Period: 2021 - 2023 (Cycle 2)
Location: Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Binh Phuoc, Phu Yen, Binh Thuan
Implementer: Health and Social Protection Program
Since its inception in 2017, SCDI’s “Enhancing Community Participation in Malaria Elimination in Vietnam” project has contributed to the national effort towards malaria eradication. This initiative explicitly addresses the challenge of reaching geographically isolated populations like forest goers by fostering community-led solutions.
The project’s cornerstone is establishing Community Malaria Action Teams (CMATs). Comprised of local people, CMATs cultivate trust and rapport with target groups, facilitating interventions including outreach, communication, treatment referral and support adherence and providing preventative items:
- Long-lasting insecticidal nets
- Hats and protective clothing
- Mosquito repellent
- Malaria prevention information booklets
- Other communications products: handfan, water bottles, posters and stickers,... with malaria prevention messages.
In 2023, SCDI further bolstered CMAT capabilities through targeted training sessions. These sessions covered critical topics such as public health insurance navigation, rights and gender issues, and effective communication strategies – all essential for effectively assisting vulnerable populations.
2023 Key results
The project’s effectiveness is demonstrably validated by the 2023 results. CMATs successfully identified and referred 5,993 individuals with suspected malaria symptoms for parasitological testing. Notably, zero malaria cases were diagnosed, contributing to a decrease of 82% in the number of domestic malaria cases in the region of 6 provinces compared with 2022. This signifies the project’s significant contribution to malaria prevention through community engagement of the project.
Focal Person
(Ms.) Nguyen Thi Kim Dung - Health and Social Protection Program Manager
