Malaria No More (MNM) organised a workshop for Private Healthcare Providers (PHPs), educating them about the prevalence of malaria and the best practices to deal with it. The workshop was conducted in Koraput, one of the most high-burden districts of the state and will soon be organised in the district of Malkangiri.
During the workshop, the PHPs were trained on mechanisms to spot malaria cases and were made aware of benefits for referring patients. Malaria’s prevention and infection-control methods were also discussed at length. An animated video was also displayed at the workshop, to show the movement of malaria parasites from mosquitoes to humans. The workshop was thoroughly interactive and included discussion, role-play, and examples for ease of understanding. Participants were also provided with referral cards on fever detection that can be filled and given back to Malaria Sathee/Doot to proceed on the next steps with medication and treatment for malaria.
A total of 189 PHPs attended the workshop. Sensitisation of informal private healthcare providers is one of the most important activities under the malaria elimination drive. Informal healthcare providers represent a substantial proportion of the healthcare delivery system in rural and tribal areas. Informal healthcare providers account for a major 55 per cent of all healthcare providers in India. They are sought after for three main reasons: proximity, ease of access, and familiarity with the community as they come from nearby areas. Considering the significant role of this group in influencing the community, their involvement is being prioritised.
MNM India has, for the first time, made a systematic effort to conduct this activity in two important districts of Odisha. These two districts account for over 50 per cent of the state’s malaria burden.
Talking about the initiative, Pratik Kumar, Country Director, Malaria No More India said, “Because they work at the grassroots, PHPs will play a vital role in helping India achieve malaria elimination by 2030. PHPs across rural and semi urban India have established trust with the communities they serve. Almost 80 per cent of PHP participants at the workshop were spiritual healers and faith healers while the other 20 per cent were herbalists. We aim to instill a holistic approach to malaria elimination and believe training workshops help improve our intervention in the high-burden areas through direct engagement with PHPs. The success of this workshop, evidenced in the high participation of PHPs and their willingness to support malaria elimination, sets a great example for other states.”
