Expanding the roles of malaria post workers in Thailand: A qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives
In Thailand, since the 2000s, malaria post (MP) workers have been tasked with promptly detecting and treating all malaria cases to prevent onward transmission in the communities. Expanding their roles to provide health services beyond malaria has been proposed as a strategy to sustain their activiti...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science
2024
|
| _version_ | 1811141244928131072 |
|---|---|
| author | Jongdeepaisal, M Khonputsa, P Prasert, O Maneenate, S Sirimatayanant, M Sopa, P Saisong, A Charoensup, I Kamsri, T Tipmontree, R Sudathip, P Liverani, M Maude, RJ Pell, C |
| author_facet | Jongdeepaisal, M Khonputsa, P Prasert, O Maneenate, S Sirimatayanant, M Sopa, P Saisong, A Charoensup, I Kamsri, T Tipmontree, R Sudathip, P Liverani, M Maude, RJ Pell, C |
| author_sort | Jongdeepaisal, M |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | In Thailand, since the 2000s, malaria post (MP) workers have been tasked with promptly detecting and treating all malaria cases to prevent onward transmission in the communities. Expanding their roles to provide health services beyond malaria has been proposed as a strategy to sustain their activities until elimination is reached. This article examines the perspectives of stakeholders on community-based malaria care to assess prospects for expanding the role of MPs. The study incorporated in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). In forested communities and local health facilities in northeast Thailand bordering Lao PDR and Cambodia, where malaria transmission is low, IDIs were conducted with 13 MPs and 23 community members. An additional 14 policymakers and implementers across the health sector in Thailand were interviewed. The respondents highlighted how in these border areas population groups most at risk of malaria, namely forest goers and migrants, are reluctant to visit public health facilities. In these areas, MP workers are well integrated in their communities and remain relevant although the communities no longer see malaria as spriority. Common conditions such as dengue, diabetes, insect bites, diarrhea, mental illness and substance abuse, were identified as local health concerns needing potential add-on services from MP workers. Although challenges in terms of training, supervision, and financing were raised, opportunities included additional funds from local administrative offices to maintain and integrate malaria activities with other health programmes. Changes to the roles of MPs should be adapted to changing local needs, some of which were identified in this study, should avoid duplication and potential tensions with other local health programmes, and need to build on the capacity of the community and primary care system. These enabling factors are worthy of consideration by any malaria programmes looking into maintaining their village malaria workers in the Greater Mekong Subregion. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-25T04:34:48Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:43cb5ad5-fb96-48d7-b75c-6298a21c0f81 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-25T04:34:48Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:43cb5ad5-fb96-48d7-b75c-6298a21c0f812024-09-17T20:10:24ZExpanding the roles of malaria post workers in Thailand: A qualitative study of stakeholder perspectivesJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:43cb5ad5-fb96-48d7-b75c-6298a21c0f81EnglishJisc Publications RouterPublic Library of Science2024Jongdeepaisal, MKhonputsa, PPrasert, OManeenate, SSirimatayanant, MSopa, PSaisong, ACharoensup, IKamsri, TTipmontree, RSudathip, PLiverani, MMaude, RJPell, CIn Thailand, since the 2000s, malaria post (MP) workers have been tasked with promptly detecting and treating all malaria cases to prevent onward transmission in the communities. Expanding their roles to provide health services beyond malaria has been proposed as a strategy to sustain their activities until elimination is reached. This article examines the perspectives of stakeholders on community-based malaria care to assess prospects for expanding the role of MPs. The study incorporated in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). In forested communities and local health facilities in northeast Thailand bordering Lao PDR and Cambodia, where malaria transmission is low, IDIs were conducted with 13 MPs and 23 community members. An additional 14 policymakers and implementers across the health sector in Thailand were interviewed. The respondents highlighted how in these border areas population groups most at risk of malaria, namely forest goers and migrants, are reluctant to visit public health facilities. In these areas, MP workers are well integrated in their communities and remain relevant although the communities no longer see malaria as spriority. Common conditions such as dengue, diabetes, insect bites, diarrhea, mental illness and substance abuse, were identified as local health concerns needing potential add-on services from MP workers. Although challenges in terms of training, supervision, and financing were raised, opportunities included additional funds from local administrative offices to maintain and integrate malaria activities with other health programmes. Changes to the roles of MPs should be adapted to changing local needs, some of which were identified in this study, should avoid duplication and potential tensions with other local health programmes, and need to build on the capacity of the community and primary care system. These enabling factors are worthy of consideration by any malaria programmes looking into maintaining their village malaria workers in the Greater Mekong Subregion. |
| spellingShingle | Jongdeepaisal, M Khonputsa, P Prasert, O Maneenate, S Sirimatayanant, M Sopa, P Saisong, A Charoensup, I Kamsri, T Tipmontree, R Sudathip, P Liverani, M Maude, RJ Pell, C Expanding the roles of malaria post workers in Thailand: A qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives |
| title | Expanding the roles of malaria post workers in Thailand: A qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives |
| title_full | Expanding the roles of malaria post workers in Thailand: A qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives |
| title_fullStr | Expanding the roles of malaria post workers in Thailand: A qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | Expanding the roles of malaria post workers in Thailand: A qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives |
| title_short | Expanding the roles of malaria post workers in Thailand: A qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives |
| title_sort | expanding the roles of malaria post workers in thailand a qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jongdeepaisalm expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives AT khonputsap expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives AT praserto expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives AT maneenates expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives AT sirimatayanantm expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives AT sopap expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives AT saisonga expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives AT charoensupi expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives AT kamsrit expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives AT tipmontreer expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives AT sudathipp expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives AT liveranim expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives AT mauderj expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives AT pellc expandingtherolesofmalariapostworkersinthailandaqualitativestudyofstakeholderperspectives |