Lessons and recommendations gained through "Project for Strengthening of Malaria Control in Solomon Islands" / 国際保健医療

ABSTRACT

Summarized in the following are lessons and recommendations gained through the three-year project on -Strengthening of Malaria Control in Solomon Islands”. The poor quality of malaria services and people's lack of access to proper services remain as a tremendous obstacle in developing countries. In areas remote from the central town, both morbidity and mortality from malaria tend to be higher than those in the central area. The concern shared by many living in such remote areas is how to prevent severe cases of malaria. Recommendations for malaria-related strategies in the isolated area include (1) fostering the capacity of the community to respond to severe cases of malaria through strengthening the key health facility in the malaria management (2) having the community residents themselves to have the ownership of the activities, and constructing malaria control for the community by the community. Nevertheless, it has been recognized that creating a malaria control guideline as well as its complete implementation is not enough to achieve the objectives. The guideline simply provides a standard or a benchmark, and it is, above all, not only flexible but also sensible and timely decisions suited to each circumstance, as well as actions backed by a strong sense of mission that, in the end, save the lives of malaria patients. In addition, if self-help efforts in the country are to be expected, it is of foremost importance to train healthcare workers and reserve officers.