Moving from insight to action: Seven key takeaways from the 2024 RBM Partnership to End Malaria SBC Meeting

Social and behaviour change (SBC) strategies are essential for translating health insights into impactful interventions, especially in the fight against malaria. The 11th RBM Partnership to End Malaria SBC Working Group meeting, held in Nairobi last month, brought together partners to share key learnings on how targeted behaviour change can strengthen prevention, diagnosis and treatment efforts. Here are Malaria Consortium’s seven takeaways to guide SBC approaches that can support in achieving measurable progress in driving down malaria.  

A well-considered adaptation is key to success

Adapting SBC interventions to fit the specific cultural, environmental and social context of populations is crucial when implementing evidence-based interventions in new settings. Frameworks like the ADAPT guidance help to avoid common adaptation errors such as insufficient understanding and consideration of the local context and health system, and an over-reliance on the original intervention. This ensures that adapted tools and approaches resonate with local needs and evolve based on real-time data and feedback. In areas where trust issues exist, adapted community dialogue and trust-building strategies have proven to be effective.  

The success of malaria interventions depends on how well they reflect local realities.

AI has the potential to supercharge SBC interventions

 Artificial Intelligence (AI) is opening new frontiers in the field of SBC and behavioural science. AI-powered platforms can analyse vast amounts of data to predict malaria hotspots, personalise prevention messages and enhance real-time monitoring. By integrating AI into SBC strategies, organisations can identify emerging trends and risks, enabling more timely interventions and targeted community engagement. Jacaranda Health’s PROMPTS intervention showcased the potential of AI in transforming malaria prevention through personalised, real-time support. Originally designed for maternal health, PROMPTS uses SMS to provide pregnancy stage-specific advice, appointment reminders and AI-powered triage for high-risk cases. By combining human-centered design with AI, the platform enables communities to take control of their health care. Adapting this model for malaria could revolutionise prevention efforts, enabling rapid data analysis, personalised and scalable solutions to enhance community engagement and health outcomes.  

AI offers game-changing personalisation of interventions at scale, predicting risks and facilitating equitable access to life-saving information. 

Leveraging data for actionable change

Data-driven decision-making is at the heart of successful SBC programming. Analysing behavioural indicators, demographic data, and feedback from communities in real-time allows for more effective targeting, adaptation and corrective adjustment of SBC strategies as we identify which strategies are working and where adjustments are needed. CRS explained how to understand why expected changes in behaviour or their determinants are not happening, using light or more in-depth processes to unpack the reasons. These may be related to several factors including reach, understanding, relevance, not targeting the most important barrier or group, or intervention quality. Continuous feedback loops can also help address challenges before they escalate, ensuring interventions remain relevant and impactful. 

Data is the compass guiding our fight against malaria — it tells us where to focus and when to pivot.

Innovative approaches to behavioural barriers

Overcoming barriers to malaria prevention often requires creative solutions. Cash incentives, mobile health clinics and engaging non-traditional health providers are just a few examples of innovative strategies discussed at the meeting. These solutions tackle specific barriers, such as limited access to health services or social norms that inhibit health-seeking behaviour, making them powerful tools in high-risk areas. The success of community-based interventions is evident in projects such as Breaking Barriers, led by Leeds University with Malaria Consortium. The project, which aims to improve access to malaria case management for conflict-affected populations in Cameroon through context-specific, community-based interventions, illustrates the importance of engaging communities as co-creators in the design of solutions. 

Innovative solutions break down barriers, making malaria prevention accessible to all.

Human-centred design puts communities at the centre of SBC decision-making

Sustained malaria prevention requires a community-driven approach. For the second year in a row, Human-Centered Design (HCD) remained centre stage at the RBM meeting. Involving communities directly in the design, implementation and monitoring of activities is nothing new, but 17 Triggers’ shared examples of how their approach has shown success across the globe, highlighted with an example of engaging forest-goers in malaria programming in Cambodia.  

When communities design solutions, they take ownership and lead the change. 

Youth as agents of change

Youth engagement was a strong focus of the meeting. Recognised as key drivers of change, young people are critical in raising awareness, youth-led advocacy initiatives and co-creation of more tailored interventions by and for youth. This ensures that malaria prevention resonates with young people, who are often the most affected by the disease. 

Organisations need to be deliberate about including youth in malaria programmes as meaningful contributors, not just as a tick box.  

Young people are the torchbearers of a malaria-free future.

SBC in malaria vaccination

With the introduction of malaria vaccines, there is a growing need to combat misinformation and ensure communities are well informed. The meeting highlighted the importance of proactive Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) strategies to address negative public perceptions of vaccines. Pre-emptive planning and strong SBC programmes will be essential to ensure a smooth vaccine rollout and uptake. 

Effective communication is the bridge to building trust in malaria vaccines. 

Conclusion: From insight to action  

In a rapidly changing world where malaria remains a major burden, the 11th RBM meeting in Nairobi underscored that no one goes it alone, and that a multisectoral approach that embraces emerging themes like climate change, is key to eradicating malaria through strengthened collaboration, shared experiences and adaptable solutions. 

The theme ‘Insight to Action’ offers a powerful reminder that knowledge without application leads to stagnation. We need to harness the insights generated through research and community engagement and turn them into tangible actions that save lives and reduce malaria transmission. 

Through adaptive monitoring, co-designing with communities and scaling what works, we can accelerate progress toward a malaria-free future — as every data point, every community dialogue and every local influencer contributes to making malaria a disease of the past. 

Now is the time to transform knowledge into power — and power into action. 

Turning insight into action through data-driven decision making and community-led solutions brings us closer to a malaria-free world. 

Read more: Malaria Consortium - Conferences Publications search 

This blog was written collaboratively by Malaria Consortium's RBM SBC  team.