A Study on Community Based Malaria Control Interventions (Case study in Naungcho, Northern Shan State)

The study was done in one of the highest malaria risk area, Naungcho Township in Northern Shan State(NSS). In Myanmar, people residing in rural areas constitute nearly 70% of the total population , and to build a developed nation, community development and poverty alleviation should be focused on rural population .This study is intended to highlight the fact that structural coverage does not mean the functional coverage. There still are many areas with demands for effective health care services. Community mobilization on malaria prevent ion and control could be done by efficient voluntary health workers through effective trainings, followed by proper supervision , utilization of realistic motivating mechanisms , proper monitoring and careful manipulation on feedbacks. It was found that Voluntary Health Workers (VHW) developed by CESVI (one of the International Non Government Organization) had performed well in malaria control activities and community's perception on these volunteers was highly satisfactory. Involvement of voluntary health workers should be assumed as a good approach for community mobilization in malaria control programs. Moreover, the study disclosed that community mobilization through voluntary health workers in malaria control activities could contribute distinctively to reduction of malaria burden, which in tum would improve the socio-economic status of Myanmar rural people