Malaria Information Support to Health Professionals in Southern Africa, 08/02/00

Health professionals working in malaria control in Southern Africa frequently have poor and sometimes no access to up-to-date malaria reference book, manuals and journals.  The shortage of information inhibits effective malaria control in Southern African countries.  The Worlds Health Organisation’s Southern Africa Malaria Control Programme (WHO-SAMC) in collaboration with the Univeristy of Zimbabwe’s Medical School Library and AusAID-Australia have launched the Malaria Red-Reference Initiative to remedy this situation.

1.     WHO-SAMC Malaria Red Reference Initiative
Malaria is one of the most important causes of sickness and death in Southern Africa.  Every year between 200,000 and 300,000 people die of malaria in Southern Africa.  In some countries in the sub-region up to 60% of the population are infected with malaria at any one time.

Today, malaria can be prevented, treated and controlled.

Improved access to information on malaria at the national, provincial and district levels will help to update health professionals skills and knowledge on malaria.  In turn this will help them to fight malaria more effectively and reduce malaria illness and deaths.

The Malaria Red Reference Initiative has four inter-linked components:

1. The Southern Africa Malaria Control Information Resource Centre
This is based in the University of Zimbabwe’s Medical School Library and provides information services to health professionals working in malaria control in Southern Africa.  The resource center now contains one of the biggest collections of malaria publications in Southern Africa. 

2. The Malaria Red Trunk
The Red-Trunk houses essential collection of over 60 books, manuals and other texts on malaria.  It is initially targeted at National Malaria Control Programmes and Research Institutions.

3.  The Malaria Red File
The Red File is a compilation of basic information on malaria for health professionals working at district level.  It is intended to be a personal resource on malaria for district medical officers, environmental health officers and senior nurses.

4.  Electronic Access to Malaria Information
The provision of email by WHO to National Malaria Control Programmes has greatly improved communication between health professionals engaged in malaria control.  In addition, malaria information from the Internet and CD-ROM databases can now be distributed from the Malaria Information Resource Centre.  Lastly WHO-SAMC website (www.malaria.org.zw) has been launched and will provide further sources of information on malaria and malaria control in Southern Africa to malaria control officers, malaria researchers and the general public.

2.     The WHO-Southern Africa Malaria Control Programme
The WHO-Southern Africa Malaria Control Programme (SAMC) covers 10 countries; Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  WHO-SAMC supported by AusAID-Australia and DFID-UK aims to strengthen malaria control in Southern Africa by:

	Increasing advocacy and building commitment for malaria control.
	Strengthening the capacity of national malaria control programmes
	Strengthening malaria prevention through insecticide-treated bednets, repellents and house spraying.
	Ensuring early diagnosis and correct treatment of malaria.
	Improving epidemic forecasting and control.
	Improving malaria surveillance, monitoring and evaluation and operational research.
	Ensuring health professionals and the general public have information and education on malaria.

3.     Partnerships Helping to Roll Back Malaria in Southern Africa  

	Southern Africa has a long history of malaria control.  However, in the past national malaria control programmes have often had insufficient international support.
	Roll Back Malaria is a global movement – initiated by WHO, UNDP, UNICEF and the World Bank, and led by countries – that aims to build on the success of the current malaria control programmes and halve the number of malaria deaths in Africa and other affected regions by the year 2010.  It is doing this by increasing advocacy for malaria control, mobilizing additional resources and creating partnerships between all those involved and/or affected by malaria.
	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 and AusAID have created an initiative that will dramatically increase health professionals access to malaria information.

Together we can Roll Back Malaria in Southern Africa

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