In recent years, visibility and political support for malaria has continued to increase dramatically. This policy brief is a summary of the WHO recommended technical strategies. The purpose is to present in one concise document a summary of WHO Guidance in order to assist countries in developing Global Fund proposals, and in appropriately selecting and budgeting for intervention areas necessary to ensure universal coverage and sustainability.

The key intervention areas include:

malaria case management – (malaria diagnosis and treatment); malaria prevention in special groups (during pregnancy and infancy); malaria vector control; and surveillance, monitoring and evaluation. It highlights technical areas and implementation activities that countries should ensure are included in the proposal with appropriate funding to ensure effective implementation. This policy briefing is not intended as a substitute for the published WHO documents on which it is based; it is intended to be used together with the reference WHO publications which is provided in a separate document (Malaria: Global Fund proposal development: Compilation of WHO reference documents, July 2011). WHO recommends that everyone at risk of malaria should be protected by effective vector control. This will reduce the vectorial capacity of the malaria-carrying mosquito, and thus reduce transmission, and thereby the mortality and morbidity from malaria.

This document focuses on the two main operational interventions for malaria vector control:

long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) 1, and indoor residual spraying of insecticide (IRS). In some context-specific situations, where the vector breeding sites meet certain conditions 2, these core interventions can be locally complemented by other methods (e.g. larval control or environmental management) in the context of Integrated Vector Management (IVM). Effective and sustained implementation of malaria vector control interventions (IRS and/or LLINs) requires clear political commitment and engagement from national authorities as well as long-term support by funding partners. Access to prompt diagnostic testing and effective treatment of malaria shortens the duration of illness, prevents the progression to severe illness and the majority of deaths from malaria. Access to malaria diagnostic testing and treatment should therefore be seen not only as a component of malaria control but a fundamental right of all populations at risk. As such, it must be an essential part of health system development and a key component of reducing morbidity and deaths due to malaria.