Project Duration: 1st August 2024 – 31st December 2026

Geographical Coverage: Madi Okollo, Terego, Nebbi, and Pakwach Districts

Supported Health Facilities: 92

Community Health Workers Supported (VHTs): 4,084

Target Group: Children under five, pregnant mothers, caretakers of under-five children, and community members in malaria hotspot areas

Implementing Partner: RICE West Nile

Funding Partner: TASO Uganda

Donor: Global Fund

Project Overview

The UGA-M-TASO Global Fund Malaria Project contributes to Uganda’s national goal of achieving a malaria-free future through the implementation of the Uganda Malaria Reduction and Elimination Strategic Plan (UMRESP). The project specifically aims to reduce malaria morbidity by 50% and mortality by 75% from the 2019 baseline by the end of 2025. This will be achieved through a multi-pronged approach focused on strengthening community and facility-level malaria response systems, empowering health workers, and addressing structural barriers to effective malaria prevention and treatment.

The project supports both public and private healthcare providers while integrating community structures, such as Village Health Teams (VHTs), to ensure effective service delivery at all levels.

Project Modules, Intervention Areas, and Approaches

1. Case Management Module – Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM)

This component strengthens the community-based malaria response by equipping VHTs and health workers to diagnose and manage malaria cases promptly and effectively. Key activities include:

   - VHT Coordination Meetings with Health faciltiies

   - Data Cleaning Meetings to enhance data accuracy and decision-making

   - District Health Management Team (DHMT) Supervision to support both health facilities and communities

   - Targeted Community Dialogues & Post-dialogue Meetings to foster behavior change and promote early health-seeking

    - Health Facility Support Supervision to mentor and monitor VHT activities

    - Mentorship on iCCM Stock Monitoring at both regional and district levels

    - Annual ICCM Advocacy and Sensitization Meetings at the district level

2. Removing Human Resource and Gender-related Barriers

To promote inclusive health service delivery, the project integrates interventions to reduce gender inequalities and human resource limitations:

   - Mentorship on Human Resource and Gender-responsive Approaches at the regional and district levels

   - Community Dialogues by CSOs/CBOs to advocate for equitable access to malaria prevention and treatment services, and to raise awareness of health rights and responsibilities

3. Private Sector Case Management

The project ensures that Private Not-for-Profit (PNFP) and Private For-Profit (PFP) facilities are part of the malaria control effort by:

  -  Hosting Semi-annual Private Sector Provider Meetings

 - Facilitating Private Provider Supervision by District Health Surveillance Assistants (DHSAs)

  - Supporting Health Facility Visits by Biostatisticians to improve data quality and service delivery

  - Conducting Semi-annual Data Cleaning Meetings focused on private sector data integration

4. Service Provision Improvement (SPI) – Malaria in Pregnancy (MiP)

To reduce the burden of malaria in pregnant women and prevent complications, the project conducts:

    - Training on Malaria in Pregnancy (MiP) at both regional and district levels to enhance the knowledge and skills of frontline health workers on intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) and case management in pregnant women.

The UGA-M-TASO Global Fund Malaria Project is a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder intervention aimed at strengthening Uganda’s response to malaria across health system levels and sectors. By combining community-based care, public-private collaboration, health worker capacity building, and gender-sensitive approaches, the project addresses both the biomedical and social determinants of malaria. With a focus on hotspot areas and vulnerable populations—including children under five and pregnant women—the project is poised to make a meaningful impact on malaria morbidity and mortality in West Nile and surrounding districts.