AFM Bulletin #2: What makes a malaria control program sustainable and successful?

19 Sep 2023
Africa Fighting Malaria Malaria is an extremely devastating and complex disease, and controlling it is neither simple nor easy. Successful and sustainable malaria control programs have an integrated and balanced approach that covers all of the technical, research, and scientific components of malaria control. These programs also have firm political commitments by national governments that ensure sustainable funding and support for malaria control, and policies that are guided by scientific evidence. A good example of a successful and sustainable program is the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative (LSDI) - a tri-lateral agreement between the governments of Swaziland, Mozambique and South Africa to control malaria jointly and regionally.

Understanding the successes and elements of the LSDI can and should guide the development of other malaria control programs in Africa. This document describes the elements of the LSDI that make it so successful: (1) entomology, (2) parasitology, (3) malaria information systems, (4) information, education and communication, (5) geographical information systems, (6) indoor residual spraying, (7) financial management, (8) laboratory capacity, (9) insectaries, (10) logistical management, and (11) monitoring and evaluation.
The full bulletin is available here: https://www.fightingmalaria.org/pdfs/AFMBulletin2.pdf