Developing a novel assessment tool to evaluate health system’s readiness of the countries in Greater Mekong Subregion to enter malaria elimination phase

The overarching aim of the project is to assess an area’s readiness to enter the malaria elimination phase in terms of its health system requirements to identify gaps that will need to be addressed in order to achieve the goal of zero local transmission of malaria, and to satisfy reporting requirements to demonstrate status has been achieved.

2023-2025

This research program will include qualitative research with key stakeholders and personnel within national malaria control programs to explore their perspectives on the implementation of malaria elimination activities. The findings of qualitative research will guide the development of an assessment tool to evaluate the health system’s readiness to enter the malaria elimination phase which will be validated to evaluate its validity, reliability, and practical usage.

Findings from this project will provide a better understanding of how malaria elimination strategies are being implemented in the Greater Mekong Subregion, including their challenges and bottlenecks. Moreover, the assessment tool will help policy makers and program managers to evaluate the health system’s readiness for malaria elimination programs. Ultimately, findings from this study identify gaps in current health systems that will need to be addressed in order to achieve the goal of zero local transmission of malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion, and to satisfy reporting requirements to demonstrate elimination status has been achieved.