Transforming the malaria landscape in the Sahel: Seasonal malaria chemoprevention

As we prepare to embark upon the second season of SMC distribution as part of the ACCESS-SMC project, Malaria Consortium will hold the first ACCESS-SMC symposium: Transforming the malaria landscape in the Sahel: Seasonal malaria chemoprevention. 

Taking place in central London from 9th – 10th June, this event will be the occasion to discuss Year 1 results of the ACCESS-SMC project within the broader landscape of SMC implementation and malaria prevention. Also at this event, participants will share lessons learnt and discuss malaria trends and perspectives for 2016 and beyond. 

Experts in the field will address specific research questions that are being raised by ACCESS-SMC, most notably those related to the feasibility of the intervention at scale, the impact of an SMC intervention on public health, concerns about drug safety and impact on resistance, and assumptions on cost drivers and sustainability. 

The event will also place SMC within a broader discussion about health system strengthening and health investments, using public health arguments to highlight the potential of SMC in reducing the cost to health care delivery and more broadly to society as a whole, as a consequence of the large reduction in malaria-related morbidity. 

This event will host people from various sectors, most notably NGOs, multilateral donors and agencies, academic institutions, private companies and foundations, as well as the public sector including Ministry of Health representatives from supported countries. 

Reasons to attend... 

* ACCESS-SMC is the first project of its kind to implement an SMC campaign at such a scale and this event will bring together key stakeholders to share learnings and best practices. 

* SMC is an underexploited approach to malaria prevention. This event will bring together experts in the field of malaria prevention to discuss how SMC might change the approach to malaria prevention in seasonally affected areas. 

* This event will bring together key donors and government representatives to discuss the future of SMC and what this means for health systems in affected countries. 

Stay tuned for more information!