IMMERSE: Innovative Malaria M&E, Research and Surveillance towards Elimination

In September 2013, Malaria Consortium began a five-year project to continue strengthening monitoring, evaluation and surveillance activities in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS).

Building on the success of the project’s initial phase, IMMERSE aims to provide technical support and guidance to national programmes, to develop methodologies and tools for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and surveillance. It also aims to test and evaluate innovative methods to guide transition from malaria control to pre-elimination and elimination in resistance containment and low transmission settings.

Working with partner organisations and Ministries of Health in the GMS (Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Lao PDR, and Yunnan Province in China), the project is developing a shared set of tools and evidence base on drug resistance, malaria diagnosis and treatment, and for operational research. It supports the implementation of health worker training, behaviour change communication, and strategic evidence-based planning and policy. 

Key objectives:

Conduct malaria operational research and monitoring and evaluation activities in the GMS and in conjunction with national malaria programmes and other partners to assess the effectiveness of current control tools.

Develop and validate the impact of revised, enhanced or novel interventions that will contribute to effective malaria control and elimination in the GMS. 

Assist the Ministries of Health in translating operational research findings into public health practice in the GMS, and ensure sharing of expertise and research findings with other partners and countries.

Assist Ministries of Health in improving malaria surveillance and monitoring and evaluation systems. Assist Ministries of Health in building capacity around operational research, surveillance, and monitoring and evaluation.

The project will undertake a number of key activities: 

Operational research and evaluations of existing malaria control tools, such as operational facilities, programme implementation, RDTs and treatment adherence to increase knowledge of programme feasibility and provide baseline data for further research.

Evaluate key interventions to assist in identifying effective malaria control and surveillance strategies and lessons for sharing, building an evidence base of operational research, surveillance and M&E approaches for national and subnational partners in the GMS.

Assist the GMS national governments and partners strengthening drug resistance monitoring, disease surveillance and M&E capacity.

Read more about our work in control and elimination of malaria in Southeast Asia here.

Malaria Consortium
Strategy 2021-2025

Read it here