London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

A project in Senegal has demonstrated the potential for significant improvements in prompt and effective treatment of malaria at community level, with the proportion of children going to a local health hut for care increasing five-fold in three years.

The Pfizer Mobilize Against Malaria Program (MAM) involved local partners and stakeholders in Ghana, Kenya and Senegal and a global evaluation team from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

The programme, Pfizer’s signature philanthropic investment in malaria between 2007 and 2011, was implemented in Senegal by IntraHealth International.  MAM Senegal rehabilitated community-based ‘health huts’ in three districts of Tambacounda, a geographically challenging region with a highly dispersed population. Frequent monitoring data gathered by IntraHealth in collaboration with LSHTM enabled MAM Senegal to develop a responsive and innovative approach to implementation.

The research findings demonstrate that many communities invested their time, commitment and confidence in building and maintaining their own local source of basic health care.

The proportion of children under five with a fever that sought treatment outside the home has remained at around 60% since 2008. However,

• Of those children that did seek care outside the home, the proportion going to a health hut increased from 12.8% in 2008 to 63.9% in 2011.
• Use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in health huts increased from 38.1% in 2010 to 71.8% in 2011.
• Where children tested positive for malaria, appropriate treatment with an ACT increased from 58.1% in 2010 to 78.2% in 2011.
• The proportion of children receiving an ACT within 48 hours improved from 45.6% in 2008 to 59.2% in 2011.

The day-to-day work of MAM Senegal is explored in a short video documentary, produced by LSHTM to demonstrate some of the key approaches and achievements of the programme on the ground. The film was launched in May 2012 at a dissemination meeting in Dakar, attended by stakeholders from the national malaria control programme as well as representatives from other NGOs, implementers and donors.