Background: Timika Malaria Control Program (TMCP) has become a model of a public-private partnership to decrease malaria in a high transmission area of Papua Province.
Methods: Malaria control methods included ‘best practice’ of integrated vector management (IVM) techniques: periodic Indoor residual spray (IRS), distribution and installation of insecticide-treated bed nets, and environmental management to reduce vector larval habitats. Additionally, public and private health care providers (HCP) provide diagnosis and treatment of malaria. Malaria case data collected from the HCP and on-going community-based malaria school surveys and door-to-door active case detection (ACD) provide the evidence-based metrics from which to measure program impact on malaria transmission. 2012 (pre-control) served as the baseline malaria prevalence for comparison with post-intervention periods (2013-2014).
Findings: Malaria prevalence in the intervention area has declined significantly since the beginning of the intervention. Compare to 2012, a similar pattern of malaria prevalence reduction also occurred in the non TMCP area. Report from HCPs outside of TMCP area such as PTFI Health Clinics declared 48.9% reduction of malaria cases while 46.5% in PTFI Workforce. Overall, from 2012 to end of 2014, in the intervention area verified that passive case detection cases were reduced 70% and active case detection indicated a 60.3% drop.
Conclusions: Malaria prevalence has shown a significant reduction in TMCP area and appears to have had beneficial carry-over effects in the neighboring non-intervention area. The combination of IRS and the installation of ITNs has been shown to be an effective strategy to protect the population from malaria. Active case detection and wider use of an effective Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) has also contributed to parasite reservoir reduction. Hence, Mimika Health Office should consider this as one strategy for promoting malaria elimination in the district and for developing a stronger overall health system.