The Suriname Ministry of Health (supported by TDR; the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER); the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; WHO’s Global Malaria Programme and the Pan American Health Organization) hosted a symposium on malaria prevention and control in mobile and hard-to-reach populations earlier this month in Paramaribo, Suriname.
The symposium brought together experts, technical agencies and health institutions working across the globe to share knowledge, innovative approaches and tools aimed at eliminating malaria in these at-risk populations.
Malaria is still highly prevalent in many mobile and hard-to-reach populations in the Guiana Shield region, as well as in other parts of the world. This is mainly due to their mobility and remote locations, which make it difficult to access adequate diagnostic and treatment services.
The inability to reach these communities and provide adequate services not only undermines global efforts to eliminate malaria, but also reduces the quality of life and economic prospects of these communities.
To address this challenge, there is a need for targeted approaches and tools that focus on the specific requirements of the populations concerned.
Currently, innovative solutions and interventions are being developed, tested and proven at many research sites in malaria-affected parts of the world. These include, for example, the Malakit project, a study which evaluates the impact and potential further development of a malaria self-diagnosis and treatment kit in these populations.
The symposium aimed to give these types of innovations greater visibility within the global community, in order to accelerate the implementation of solutions to eliminate malaria and leave no one behind. It was organized by the Suriname Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Foundation for the Advancement for Scientific Research in Suriname (SWOS) and the Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne.
The main objectives were to:
- Share experiences and lessons learned from innovative approaches to malaria control and prevention in mobile and hard-to-reach populations;
- Share preliminary results from ongoing operational research projects or pilot studies on this topic; and
- Discuss the applicability of innovative strategies in different contexts.
The symposium was also an opportunity to facilitate networking among key experts and implementers in the field and foster coordinated efforts to eradicate malaria.
Discussions at the symposium yielded conclusions including the following:
- In order to achieve effective malaria control, easy access to diagnosis tools and treatments at any time in communities is essential as well as prevention measures against vectors and bites.
- Traditional vector control measures are not applicable in every transmission context. Therefore, the efficacy of available innovative approaches should be tested in different contexts.
- Malaria control in mobile and hard-to-reach populations is often related to legal and political issues. Therefore, commitment from and collaboration between authorities, researchers and communities is essential.
- Malaria control in mobile and hard-to-reach populations is often costly, due to remoteness, poor accessibility, and the necessity of tailored interventions. National health budgets may not be sufficient to provide adequate care for these singular populations. In this context, malaria is likely to remain a particularly challenging “last mile problem” that is likely to spillover and erase past progress if left unattended. Therefore, international funding remains essential.
Abstracts, posters and presentations (slides), as well as video recordings of presentations and discussions, can be viewed on the symposium website: www.sumalariaprogram.org.
For more information, please contact: Dr Florence Fouque.