Improving Knowledge for Malaria Control

A major problem faced by health workers trying to combat malaria is the lack of up-to-date, reliable information on malaria. Improving their access to such information will help to update their skills and knowledge of malaria, and, in turn, will help them fight malaria more effectively and reduce malaria illness and deaths.

The World Health Organisation’s Southern Africa Malaria Control Programme (supported by AusAid and DFID) working with the University of Zimbabwe’s Medical School  Library and WHO Headquarters has launched the Malaria Red Reference Initiative. The initiative will greatly improve health workers’ access to malaria information in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The initiative has four elements:

1. The Malaria Resource Centre based in the University of Zimbabwe’s Medical School Library. This contains one of the largest collections of malaria publications in Southern Africa and will be regularly updated. The Resource Centre can be used by all health professionals working in Southern Africa.

2. The Malaria Red Trunk which houses an essential collection of over 60 books, manuals and other texts on malaria. This is being distributed at the national and provincial levels.

	3. The Malaria Red File which is a compilation of basic information on malaria for health professionals working in districts and provinces.
	4. Electronic access to malaria information through the provision of email and internet facilities to malaria control programmes, use of CD-Roms to disseminate information, and the WHO-Southern Africa Malaria Control Programme website (http://www.safrimal.org/).

The Malaria Red Reference Initiative is an example of how partnerships can help to Roll Back Malaria in Southern Africa. Working together, WHO-Southern Africa Malaria Control, the University of Zimbabwe Medical School Library, AusAid and DFID have created an initiative that will dramatically increase health professionals access to malaria information.

For further information email: rootg@who.co.zw ; patrikios@healthnet.zw