Enhancing Quality Malaria Care (EQMC)

Comic Relief - Strengthening Quality of Malaria Care and Surveillance in Ghana
Malaria is the leading cause of death in children under 10 years old in Ghana and among the top causes of death for adults. Children under 10 years old 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. Among the primary beneficiaries and other community members, the first point of call for treatment of fever is at the local chemical shops and community health volunteers (if they exist), where malaria diagnosis and treatment is largely inadequate. In all the proposed study areas, the quality malaria care was accessible to <10% of the population. This project aims to reduce malaria by finding and testing context-appropriate ways of increasing: (1) access to care; (2)knowledge of malaria care providers in the community; (3) demand for malaria services, and; (4) availability and use of malaria data in communities.
 
This implementation research project will be conducted through three research sites: Navrongo, Kintampo, and Dodowa, located in the north, centre, and south of Ghana. The design of activities in each area will be refined based on findings from baseline studies, and consultation with stakeholders from all levels. Stakeholders will be consulted on interventions at key points to inform implementation and share information.
 
Project activities
Community entry, sensitization and engagement , and training of local media on early treatment seeking behaviour and the importance of testing before treatment;
training of community health care providers (community providers), namely Community Health Officers at Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds (the lowest level of government health service), Community-Based Volunteers, and Licensed chemical sellers (LCS) on malaria symptoms, testing, treatment, tracking patient outcomes and referral of severe malaria cases and other febrile illnesses;
Strengthening the LCS supply chain for malaria commodities;

Roll-out of the District Health Information System’s eTracker, for use in electronic data capture at community levels to community providers, and training them on data collection and use; and
Working with Community Health Committees to further engage with and increase supervision to community providers.