Neftaly Malaria Prevention and Early Care-Seeking Goals for 2017
Achieving high coverage and community acceptance of malaria preventive services, alongside promoting timely care-seeking for fever, is critical to ending malaria transmission and reducing its burden in Namibia.
By 2017, Neftaly aimed to ensure that:
- At least 95% of the targeted population accept and/or use malaria preventive services, including insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying (IRS), and other vector control measures.
- At least 95% of people experiencing fever seek early health care, enabling prompt diagnosis and effective treatment of malaria and other febrile illnesses.
Strategies to Achieve These Targets
1. Community Engagement and Behavior Change Communication
- Implemented wide-reaching campaigns using radio, print, community meetings, and local leaders to raise awareness about the importance and benefits of malaria prevention and early treatment
- Mobilized community health workers and volunteers to distribute nets, promote IRS acceptance, and encourage health facility visits for fever cases
- Addressed myths, stigma, and barriers to service uptake through targeted messaging and interpersonal communication
2. Improving Accessibility and Quality of Preventive Services
- Ensured consistent distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) during routine campaigns and antenatal visits
- Maintained high coverage of indoor residual spraying through well-planned, community-supported operations
- Strengthened supply chains to guarantee availability of preventive commodities
3. Enhancing Early Care-Seeking Behavior
- Supported training for health workers to provide respectful, patient-centered care that encourages return visits and referrals
- Expanded access to rapid diagnostic testing and effective treatment at community and primary care levels
- Facilitated community-based health education emphasizing the risks of delayed treatment and the benefits of early diagnosis
4. Monitoring and Feedback
- Regularly tracked community acceptance and use of malaria prevention services through household surveys and monitoring tools
- Monitored health facility records and community reports to measure timely health-seeking behavior for fever cases
- Used data to adapt messaging, outreach strategies, and resource allocation for maximum impact
Expected Impact
By achieving these ambitious targets, Neftaly contributed to:
- Significantly reducing malaria transmission and outbreaks through widespread protective coverage
- Decreasing malaria-related morbidity and mortality by enabling early diagnosis and treatment
- Strengthening trust and partnership between communities and health systems
- Moving Namibia closer to malaria elimination by building sustainable preventive and care-seeking behaviors