The purpose of this workshop is to draw from current Country Partner examples and historical lessons to explore options for scalable models of community engagement for malaria elimination (national / regional). It is anticipated that the key outputs will be:

• Identification of training needs for capacity building in the design of national frameworks for community engagement in malaria elimination.
• Identification of a research agenda for the development of the evidence base to support scalable models of community engagement in malaria elimination.
• Develop an action plan for the establishment of a ‘Centre for Competence in Community Engagement’ in the Asia-Pacific region that will work towards a global consensus on good practice guidelines for community engagement in malaria elimination. This centre would provide guidance and support for building community engagement into future Global Fund applications.
• Agreement to collate a compendium of examples of community engagement presented at the workshop by country partners.

This workshop is being held in close collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, and the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region and Western Pacific Region.

Program

Session 1: Historical lessons from community participation in communicable disease control and elimination

• Lessons from 60 years of community participation in communicable disease control and elimination

Session 2: Current community engagement programs for malaria elimination in partner countries – successes and challenges

• ‘Asia-Pacific Cafe’ style presentations: Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vanuatu
• Discussion - points of interest arising from work showcased by APMEN country partners during ‘Asia-Pacific Cafe’ sessions

Session 3: Community engagement for malaria elimination – Going to scale

• Going to scale with community engagement for malaria elimination (models for equitable access and sustainability)
• Experiences and challenges in achieving synchronous cross-border community engagement for malaria elimination
• Embedding community engagement for malaria elimination in comprehensive Primary Health Care delivery: A systems strengthening approach
• Discussion and summary of key issues

Welcome dinner: Thai Lanna classical dinner and performance at Old Chiang Mai Cultural Centre

Session 4: Identifying APMEN priorities for research and training in community engagement for malaria elimination

• Discussion – Identifying research and training needs to support strategies for community engagement in key interventions for malaria elimination
• Discussion – Identifying research and training needs to support the development of a broader framework for sustainable engagement
• Discussion – Cross cutting issues (e.g. achieving synchronous cross-border community engagement for elimination; community engagement for resistance prevention / containment)
• Summarize APMEN priorities and reach consensus - document priorities for community engagement research and training needs

Field Visit to Lumpoon Province

• Revisit agreed APMEN research and training needs developed the previous day in light of the field visit experience. Confirm consensus for priorities

Session 5: An action plan for strengthening competence in community engagement for malaria elimination in the Asia-Pacific region

• Constellation: The Malaria Competence Process
• Discussion: Timelines, funding, resources and roles and responsibilities for achieving agreed priorities / action plan

*please contact us if you would like a copy of any presentation from this meeting

Meeting Materials

• Daily summaries of the Workshop were kindly provided by Prof William Brieger of the Tropical Health Matters blog, and can be viewed here.