Rethinking communications for governance of malaria programs.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Communication
• Global Health

Background:

• Malaria is often perceived as an intractable problem, hindering global elimination efforts.
• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the potential for rapid shifts in health programming and governance.
• Current malaria control strategies require new tactics to regain momentum.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for the integration of strategic communications into national malaria programs.
• To propose a framework for strategic communications to elevate malaria on the public health agenda.
• To address the gap in literature regarding strategic communications for malaria governance.

Main Methods:

• Literature search of two peer-reviewed databases and one malaria-focused journal.
• Conceptual framework development based on strategic communication principles.
• Case study insights from Uganda's National Malaria Control Division.

Main Results:

• No existing publications directly address strategic communications for malaria governance.
• A proposed framework for strategic communications in malaria governance, comprising five key elements: audience, message, medium, messenger, and timing.
• Demonstrated potential of strategic communications to influence decision-making, policy, resource mobilization, and program management.

Conclusions:

• Strategic communications are essential for transforming malaria programming and prioritizing malaria control.
• The proposed framework offers a structured approach for malaria programs to engage stakeholders effectively.
• Effective strategic communication can accelerate progress towards malaria elimination by fostering better governance and resource allocation.