T3 (Test, Treat, Track) campaign: malaria diagnostic testing, treatment, and surveillance

WINNER – PARAGUAY: PROGRAMA NACIONAL DE CONTROL DEL PALUDISMO (NATIONAL MALARIA CONTROL PROGRAM)

The National Malaria Eradication service (SENEPA) of the Ministry of Public Health and Welfare is the institution responsible for carrying out control efforts at national, regional and local levels against vector-borne diseases prevalent in the country. It includes programs of Malaria, Chagas, Dengue, Leishmaniasis and Schistosomiasis. The service is geographically decentralized into 18 zones and 40 sectors, which mostly coincide with the geo political division of the country, effectively covering for the departments and districts. In most areas, there is a laboratory for the diagnosis of malaria, totaling 20 at the central level; and 7 areas have entomology laboratories.

TOP FINALIST – ECUADOR: CONTROL Y VIGILANCIA DE LA ENFERMEDAD DE MALARIA (CONTROL AND SURVEILLANCE OF MALARIA)

The Malaria Control Program (Ministry of Public Health) plans, directs, implements, and evaluates the malaria performance in terms of facilitating malaria laboratory diagnosis, treatment, epidemiological and entomological surveillance, preserving the ecosystem based on sustainable activities; and coordinating and optimizing resources to improve the quality life of the population. Guided by national and international development goals, its general objective is to reduce morbidity and prevent mortality to levels that do not constitute a public health problem according to the Global Strategy for Malaria Control.

TOP FINALIST – BRAZIL: SECRETARIA ESTADUAL DE SAÚDE DO ACRE (STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF ACRE)

The State of Acre is home to the malaria-endemic municipalities of Cruzeiro do Sul, Rodrigues Alves, and Mâncio Lima which are among areas with the highest malaria burden in the country. Together, these municipalities contribute to almost 95% of malaria cases in in the state. The State Health Department of Acre developed within the municipalities an integrated malaria control program which improved routine service and helped professionals in setting bold targets for reducing cases, vector control, timely diagnosis and early treatment, evaluation and monitoring of the service, systematic supervision of diagnostic stations, expansion of units for quality control of diagnosis, network expansion and use of rapid tests in areas of difficult access.