Protecting employees without community-wide programmes

It may be that the decision is made to focus malaria control measures on the workforce alone, without expansion to local communities. (Though, click here to read more about why expanding control measures to the local communities may be useful).

If a strategy of focusing only on the workforce is chosen then vector control efforts may be in place within but not outside the fence; yet local employees may be on rotation and returning regularly to home communities outside the fence. Measures to limit the malaria risk in employees at all times could include:

• Providing employees with malaria prevention measures that they can take with them to use when returning to home communities. This could include any of the personnel protection measures considered appropriate to the context, such as insecticide treated nets, insecticide treated traditional clothing and repellents. If this approach is taken it is highly recommended that the employees are given sufficient commodities to provide protection for their whole family. Aside from the clear ethical impetus for this approach, it also improves the likelihood that the employee will receive the protection from malaria which the company intends; rather than, for example, ensuring his/her children or other family members are protected by the one ITN provided.
• Ensuring high quality case management services are available, for prompt diagnosis and treatment should the employee fall sick with malaria. Employees should be able to access on site clinics regardless of whether they are currently on rotation on site; and the company may also consider reviewing and, where appropriate, supporting clinical services available in some of the major communities from which the workforce is drawn.

Examples of successful industry malaria control programmes
Sources of technical support and advice

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