Global Cross-Border Malaria Control Collaborative Initiatives: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Tropical Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Malaria persists as a significant global public health challenge.
• Collaborative malaria control initiatives are increasingly adopted by nations to mitigate disease impact.
• Cross-border cooperation is crucial for malaria control in shared endemic regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current and past cross-border malaria control initiatives.
• To identify key activities, outcomes, and challenges of these collaborations.
• To assess the effectiveness of multinational efforts in malaria elimination.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across major scientific databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, EBSCOhost).
• Keywords included 'cross-border malaria control', 'bi-national malaria control', and 'multinational malaria control'.
• Inclusion criteria selected eleven studies detailing collaborative malaria control efforts.

Main Results:

• Collaborative initiatives, often within regional bodies, involve joint vector control, case management, data sharing, and capacity building.
• These multinational efforts have demonstrated significant reductions in malaria burden and mortality.
• Key challenges include underfunding and a heavy reliance on external donor support.

Conclusions:

• Cross-border malaria control collaborations are effective in reducing disease burden and mortality in border regions.
• Inadequate internal funding and over-reliance on donor support pose major threats to the sustainability of these initiatives.
• Strengthening internal funding mechanisms is critical for the long-term success of cross-border malaria control programs.