The three institutes that are part of the REACT consortium are examining the benefits of deploying itinerant nurses to support community health workers in the fight against malaria among vulnerable populations.
Context
Between 2016 and 2019, the REACT project focused on the effectiveness of innovative malaria control strategies (indoor residual spraying of insecticides, larval source management, or enhanced communication strategies) that complemented insecticide-treated nets in the context of insecticide resistance. At the conclusion of this initial project, the team observed extremely limited access to care for vulnerable populations in the rural intervention areas of Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire. With this second project, the consortium aims to evaluate to what extent the support of a greater number of community health workers (CHWs) by itinerant nurses improves access to therapeutic and preventive measures for the most vulnerable populations.
Description
To successfully conduct this research project REACT2, the consortium has deployed itinerant nurses tasked with supporting CHWs in their malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment activities across 36 villages (18 in Burkina Faso and 18 in Cote d’Ivoire). Their effectiveness will be analyzed by monitoring the evolution of the number of patients and the proportion of the population infected by age group as the intervention progresses. A triple analysis will be conducted: an entomological study measuring the presence of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite in collected Anopheles mosquitoes, a specific analysis of the implementation and impact of the intervention (quarterly surveys conducted with around a hundred individuals per village), and a qualitative evaluation of social acceptability by healthcare personnel, CHWs, and households.
Impact
This project REACT2 is expected to promote the expansion and development of future strategic plans that include itinerant nurses for supervising CHWs. This is particularly feasible given the involvement of the national malaria control programs of each country and the specific support provided to transfer the results to the health authorities of both countries. The project also includes the training of two PhD students.
