Project overview

Malaria Consortium, in partnership with UNICEF, is supporting the Ministry of Health to implement a project funded by UK aid (from the UK government) in 25 districts in mid-northern Uganda, to support efforts to reduce malaria-related morbidity and mortality. The Strengthening Uganda’s Response to Malaria (SURMa) project will be implemented in eight districts in Acholi, nine in Lango, and eight in Karamoja.

Working closely with districts and other partners, the project aims to improve access to and uptake of high-quality malaria prevention and control services. The SURMa project will build community-level capacity to diagnose and treat malaria and, in line with Uganda’s Mass Action Against Malaria strategy, will take the fight against malaria to the household level, highlighting the roles individuals can play in preventing transmission.

The delivery of project activities will be led by the respective districts to promote ownership and ensure sustainability, while Malaria Consortium will provide technical support and supervision to village health teams (VHTs) and community health extension workers (CHEWs).

The project aims to:

• increase the proportion of women and children protected against and treated for malaria and other common illnesses in 25 high-burden districts
• strengthen health systems at the district level, promoting greater sustainability of malaria and other reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health interventions
• improve malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea prevention, and diagnostic and treatment practices by VHTs and CHEWs in 25 high-burden districts
• improve malaria prevention, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and reporting practices at health facilities in 25 high-burden districts
• improve awareness of effective malaria prevention and careseeking practices
• strengthen the National Malaria Control Program’s capacity to support the implementation of the Uganda Malaria Reduction Strategic Plan
• strengthen malaria surveillance systems and improve the quality, use and sustainability of mobile tracking within the broader Electronic Health Management Information System (e-HMIS).