SEPTEMBER 2021 - Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children under five years in Malawi, and over the past four years there has been an observed national increase in cases in school-going children.

To mobilize grassroots movements to take personal responsibility for winning the fight against malaria, UNICEF Malawi, together with the National Malaria Control Program, District Councils and the Parent and Child Health Initiative (PACHI), launched the “Zero Malaria Starts with Me!” campaign.

Zero Malaria Starts with Me! catalyzes community-based movements, engages political leaders to ensure that malaria elimination efforts remain high on the political agenda, and establishes innovative public-private partnerships to increase domestic financial resources to accelerate malaria elimination.

In addition to reaching around 1.4 million people with messages on malaria prevention and control through mass media, over 300,000 people have been engaged through the campaign to increase awareness and ownership of malaria prevention and protect the most vulnerable families and communities.

This was achieved in the districts of Karonga, Mzimba, Kasungu and Neno, which bear the highest burden of malaria in the country. Engagement has included sensitization meetings with key influencers, distribution of print materials, religious sermons and counseling, feedback meetings with politicians and governance agents, high level advocacy events, and lobbying meetings with the private sector.

Children have also been reached with targeted interventions, such as inter-school malaria quiz competitions and interactive comic books.

Engaging religious leaders, policy makers, the private sector and, importantly, children, as major change agents proved to be a powerful investment. Several initiatives to fight malaria in schools, communities, and religious institutions, led by individuals, families, communities, religious leaders, the private sector, political leaders, and other members of society were implemented under the campaign.

Following lobbying meetings by the Neno District Health Team and PACHI with entrepreneurs, Chifundo Sagawa, a renowned businessman in Neno district, reduced the price of long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLIN) in his shop by $1.50 each. He has sold over 1,500 nets at the subsidized price, equaling an over $2,000 contribution. Chifundo and his business partner, Aunt Love, also own lodges that are among the most frequented accommodation in the district and have committed to ensuring guests sleep under nets. Aunt Love says about the campaign, “It is not just about business. We need to protect our customers. And from the business side it makes sense to protect them. If they get sick, the business gets sick…So I make sure they sleep in a net in my lodge.”

Bishop Gideon Phiri, one of over 100 religious leaders trained on malaria prevention and control, has mobilized followers to form health committees in churches. The committees reinforce awareness on malaria prevention and control in families, including children. Members of the committees conduct household visits to their congregants where they monitor utilization of nets and household sanitation, which prevents breeding of mosquitoes in addition to the spread of other communicable diseases.

Another example is Ward Counselor Biswat Maganga, who took Malaria as one his top priorities after being trained by PACHI officials and district health management team members. Biswat is an elected representative of the Neno district who, alongside with Traditional Authorities and other groups, has an oversight function over the Council policy and operations. His lobbying skills contributed to a commitment of the district Member of Parliament to purchase 500 Long-Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) and contribute K1,500,000 toward malaria activities. Of future plans, Biswat says, “I am working with the social accountability groups to lobby for malaria inclusion in the district development fund.”

Through these and other movements, there has been a measured increase in knowledge of malaria prevention and control. A midline U-Report poll showed a 54 per cent increase of knowledge that clinical diagnosis is vital for detecting malaria and a 14 per cent increase among women aged 15-49 who know that sleeping under the LLIN can prevent Malaria.

Looking forward, in addition to increasing reach of these initiatives, the program will seek to explore social accountability approaches at the national level to strengthen advocacy on budgetary allocations in support of district-based interventions, coupled with social marketing to influence businesses/firms and companies at national level to significantly contribute towards malaria elimination at district level.