RAI2E empowering communities through ICMVs 20.03.2019

U Myo San, MHAA-trained integrated community malaria volunteer, performs a malaria rapid diagnostic test for Thidar Aung, Malaria Programme Associate, UNOPS-PR, during a field monitoring visit to, Samee 2-Quarter village, Paletwa, Chin State. RDT allows the diagnosis of malaria in 15 minutes, significantly cutting the time between blood sample and diagnosis. Photo: UNOPS

U Myo San, MHAA-trained integrated community malaria volunteer, performs a malaria rapid diagnostic test for Thidar Aung, Malaria Programme Associate, UNOPS-PR, during a field monitoring visit to Samee 2-Quarter village, Paletwa, Chin State. Photo: UNOPS

By mobilizing and empowering malaria-affected communities with skills, knowledge and equipment to fight malaria, RAI2E is bringing quality malaria services to the most vulnerable communities in Myanmar’s remote rural areas, where access to quality malaria care is most limited and the need is greatest.

Situated on Myanmar’s western border, Chin State is one of the least developed areas of the country, with challenging terrain and high malaria prevalence—accounting for 25 per cent of all malaria cases in Myanmar. In Chin State, long distances and poverty mean a person who is sick with malaria may not make it to the nearest health facility in time to receive appropriate malaria treatment.

By mobilizing and empowering malaria-affected communities with skills, knowledge and equipment to fight malaria, RAI2E is bringing quality malaria services to the most vulnerable communities in remote rural areas, where access to quality malaria care is most difficult and the need is greatest.

With support from the Global Fund, RAI2E partner the Myanmar Health Assistant Association (MHAA) has been implementing its project ‘Empowering communities for malaria control towards malaria elimination in Myanmar’ since 2018 in two townships in Chin State: Paletwa Township (53 target villages with a total population of 9,878) and Kanpetlet Township (23 target villages with a total population of 3,370).

“Even though they are working in hard-to-reach areas, both township-level MHAA staff and volunteers are motivated for their respective roles. One staff member may have to undertake multiple tasks, making effective use of limited resources,” says Dr Zaw Win Tun, UNOPS-PR Malaria Public Health Officer, during a field monitoring visit to the MHAA project in Paletwa.

MHAA’s community malaria volunteers are often the best placed to know who in the community might be sick with malaria, and to help them access prompt treatment. In an effort to empower them, the MHAA malaria project trains them on five additional diseases – TB, HIV, dengue, filariasis and leprosy – through five-day integrated community malaria volunteers (ICMV) training sessions. MHAA makes sure that its ICMVs are trained and well equipped, and that they have the support and motivation needed to provide high quality health care for vulnerable rural communities.

UNOPS-PR malaria team and MHAA field staff visiting the frontline malaria post of Daw Arganet Hla Eain, which allows to empower MHAA-trained integrated community malaria volunteers for early malaria case detection and treatment adherence through DOT service provision. Photo: UNOPS

UNOPS-PR malaria team and MHAA field staff visiting the frontline malaria post of Daw Arganet Hla Eain, which allows to empower MHAA-trained integrated community malaria volunteers for early malaria case detection and treatment adherence through DOT service provision. Photo: UNOPS

MHAA ensures that ICMVs are not only well trained, but also supported, supervised and provided with a continuous supply of medicines and equipment – ICMV packages consisting of: a village health volunteer kit with antimalarials, malaria rapid diagnostic tests and health educational materials; and a mini first-aid kit.

Dr Zaw Win Tun thinks that the volunteers feel more confident in dealing with the community’s health issues. “ICMVs are  putting their ICMV training into practice and can address the additional diseases. ICMV Daw Arganet Hla Eain is fully capable of performing malaria tests and has good knowledge of case management,” he explains.

The MHAA-trained ICMVs have gained the trust of the villagers, who come more frequently to discuss their symptoms. They mobilize the people who live in the village through raising awareness and providing health education on the diseases at local village gatherings, along with distribution of long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) free of charge in these malaria-affected communities.

Supported by the Global Fund, MHAA has trained 76 ICMVs in Chin State – 53 in Paletwa and 23 in Kanpetlet townships – since January 2018, through five-day ICMV training sessions conducted in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Programme and township basic health staff.

Overall, since the programme began in 2014, RAI/RAI2E has trained more than 33,000 malaria volunteers and established malaria posts for the most vulnerable communities in the hardest-to-reach townships across the five countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS): Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, Myanmar, and  Vietnam.

With the improved involvement of malaria-affected communities, RAI2E is helping Myanmar on its road towards securing the goal of eliminating malaria in the GMS by 2030.