Last Updated: 05/11/2025
A community-based approach to monitor and prevent malaria in vulnerable populations (SUCOPPA)
Objectives
The SUCOPPA project aims to enhance malaria surveillance and prevention in Benin through a community- based approach focused on vulnerable populations. It will address asymptomatic carriers of the parasite, who serve as the main reservoir of the disease.
In Benin, as with the global situation, progress in the fight against malaria has stalled. Between 2015 and 2021, malaria-related deaths in the country more than doubled, rising from 1,416 to 2,956, with a similar increase in reported cases, according to the World Health Organization. Two key obstacles are hindering progress in the fight against malaria, particularly in highly endemic areas. First, there is sub-optimal use of available tools, especially among vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children under five. Second, current strategies fail to adequately address the asymptomatic malaria reservoir, particularly in terms of communication and community awareness, despite it being a major driver of malaria transmission, morbidity, and mortality among these populations. As a result, adherence to control strategies targeting this reservoir, such as intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women and infants, and seasonal malaria chemoprevention for children, remains limited. After the primary objective the next step is to collaborate with communities to design interventions based on innovative awareness campaigns and communication strategies aimed at driving behavioral and societal changes in malaria prevention, taking into account local transmission dynamics and gender inequalities. Lastly, the project’s impact will be thoroughly evaluated.
Jul 2024 — Aug 2028
$3.22M
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