STRENGTHENING QUALITY OF MALARIA CARE AND SURVEILLANCE IN GHANAIAN COMMUNITIES

January 9, 2019 | Malaria Research | Reading time: 2 min

Background
Malaria is one of the leading causes of death in sub-Saharan Africa and though preventable, the disease remains a public health threat in Ghana. Children under 10 years of age and pregnant women are most at risk. Malaria control has primarily focused on children under 5 years, but there is also a high burden in older children. Though malaria exists throughout Ghana, patterns of malaria vary across the country. There are also differences between regions in access to health services and social context, which impact malaria treatment seeking behaviour. In most communities in Ghana, the first point of call for treatment of fever is at the licensed chemical shops and other community health workers, where malaria diagnosis and treatment is largely inadequate; with < 10% of the population accessing quality malaria care. There have been efforts by the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) to scale up community-based treatment of malaria in all districts through home-based care of malaria targeting children to complement efforts of malaria care in the existing health system. However, this is challenged by inadequate human resource and logistics supply, poor supervision, inadequate community involvement and inadequate capacity for quality data collection that is required for monitoring the progress of malaria control. To address this gap, INDEPTH Network seeks to implement a community based project called “Strengthening quality of malaria care and surveillance in Ghanaian communities”. This proposed study will evaluate the existing health system on malaria care and put in measures to improve it. The primary beneficiaries of this project will be children less than 10 years of age and pregnant women.

Objectives
1.To enhance access to quality malaria care at the community level.
2.To improve knowledge among malaria care providers at the community level.
3.To enhance community demand for quality malaria care.
4.To generate quality malaria data for decision making.
5.To improve monitoring and supervision at the community level.

Methods
This is a cross-sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative methods to provide quantitative estimates of the project on study desired outcomes and qualitative evidence that explain some aspects of the project respectively. The study will be carried out in six districts: Ningo Prampram and Shai Osu-doku Districts in the Greater Accra Region, Kintampo North and South Districts in the Brong-Ahafo Region and Kassena Nankana Municipality and Kassena-Nankana West Districts in the Upper East Region.

Expected outcome
1.Enhanced access to quality malaria care at the community level.
2.Improved knowledge among malaria care providers at the community level.
3.Community demand for quality malaria care enhanced.
4.Quality malaria data for decision making generated.

Funder:
Comic Relief

Collaborators:
1.Ghana Health Service
2.National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP)
3.The INDEPTH-Network
4.Africa Media Malaria Research Network (AMMREN).
Project start date: December 2017
Project end date: May, 2020

Investigators:
KHRC: Kwaku Poku Asante, Charlotte Tawiah Agyemang and Francis Agbokey
NHRC: Abraham Rexford Oduro and Evelyn Sakeah
DHRC: John Williams and Vida Kukula
INDEPTH Network: Osman Sankoh and Mamusu Kamanda