Malaria Active Case Detection – A thematic review for the Global Fund

The Issue

Active case detection (ACD) strategies are adopted when programme goals are focused on national or sub-national malaria elimination and can serve a role in successful elimination. In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced new malaria elimination guidance including ACD strategies and Global Fund has recognised the need to be cognizant of the strategies and methods for ACD being deployed in Global Fund supported countries nearing elimination.

Tropical Health were commissioned by Global Fund to undertake an operational review to document the current state of ACD approaches, existing practices, operational challenges, and successes in countries nearing malaria elimination that are supported by the Global Fund. The review included strategies, organisation, core components, cost and feasibility of implementing ACD for reducing transmission or to strengthen surveillance.

Our Approach

The review focussed on seven selected countries: Cabo Verde, Sao Tome & Principe; Suriname; Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam, and Laos PDR. Our team carried out a rapid landscape analysis to inform the data collection approach and tools. This was followed by a literature review, data collection with focus country field visits and an online survey, along with detailed data analysis.

Our team produced a comprehensive report covering the full review, country case study briefs for each of the seven focus countries, and a presentation slide deck outlining findings and conclusions.

Our Findings

Tropical Health’s team provided country specific recommendations tailored to local circumstances for each of the seven focus countries. Global recommendations were also shared including a) ensure a sound theoretical framework to undertake ACD with clear achievable goals and b) move away from deploying ACD approaches for malaria transmission or burden reduction goals.