Dataset Information

Towards the implementation of malaria elimination policy in South Africa: the stakeholders' perspectives.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The past decade has seen substantial global reduction in malaria morbidity and mortality due to increased international funding and decisive steps by the international malaria community to fight malaria. South Africa has been declared ready to institute malaria elimination. However, research on the factors that would affect this policy implementation is inadequate.

Objective

To investigate the stakeholders' understanding of the malaria elimination policy in South Africa, including their perceived barriers and facilitators to effective policy implementation.

Methods

The study followed a constructivist epistemological approach which manifests in phenomenological study design. Twelve purposively selected key informants from malaria researchers, provincial and national malaria programmes were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Interview questions elicited interviewees' knowledge of the policy and its achievability, including any perceived barriers and facilitating factors to effective implementation. The hybrid approach was used to perform thematic data analysis.

Results

The dominant view was that malaria remains a problem in South Africa, exacerbated by staff attitudes and poor capacity, lack of resources, lack of new effective intervention tools, lack of intra- and inter-departmental collaboration, poor cross-border collaboration and weak stakeholder collaboration. Informants were concerned about the target year (2018) for elimination, and about the process followed in developing the policy, including the perceived malaria epidemiology shortfalls, regulatory issues and political context of the policy.

Conclusions

Achievability of malaria elimination remains a subject of intense debate for a variety of reasons. These include the sporadic nature of malaria resurgence, raising questions about the contributions of malaria control interventions and climate to the transmission trends in South Africa. The shortage of resources, inadequate staff capacity, lack of any new effective intervention tools, and gaps in malaria epidemiology were key concerns, as was the superficially participative nature of the consultation process followed in developing the policy.

SUBMITTER: Hlongwana KW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5496171 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Towards the implementation of malaria elimination policy in South Africa: the stakeholders' perspectives.

Hlongwana Khumbulani Welcome KW Tsoka-Gwegweni Joyce J

Global health action 20170101 1

<h4>Background</h4>The past decade has seen substantial global reduction in malaria morbidity and mortality due to increased international funding and decisive steps by the international malaria community to fight malaria. South Africa has been declared ready to institute malaria elimination. However, research on the factors that would affect this policy implementation is inadequate.<h4>Objective</h4>To investigate the stakeholders' understanding of the malaria elimination policy in South Africa ...[more]

PMID: 28475435

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Dataset Information

Towards the implementation of malaria elimination policy in South Africa: the stakeholders' perspectives.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Towards the implementation of malaria elimination policy in South Africa: the stakeholders' perspectives.

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