National Malaria Strategic Plan (NMSP) of Bhutan: 2020 – 2025

The Bhutan National Malaria Elimination and prevention of reintroduction Plan 2020-2025 presents a roadmap to eliminate indigenous malaria transmission and prevent re-introduction in Bhutan through focus on targeted implementation of preventive interventions, strengthening of technical and managerial capacity of the program, strengthening to develop robust case-based malaria surveillance and response system, and continued provision of quality-assured early diagnosis and treatment. It aims to create an enabling environment for smooth implementation of strategic approaches to malaria elimination through

1. Multisectors approach and community ownership to malaria elimination;
2. Strengthening partnerships and collaboration;
3. Integrating malaria elimination activities in health systems;
4. Advocating for national commitment and sustainable elimination program.

This revised plan intends to build on the achievements of the previous strategic plan in line with latest external recommendation reports with national revised goals to halt indigenous malaria transmission by 2022 and achieve World Health Organization (WHO) certification of a “malaria free Bhutan” by 2025. This strategic plan is formulated to enable the national malaria program to achieve its strategic goals and targets.

Strategic objectives:

1. Strategic objective 1: Strengthen targeted and focused preventive malaria interventions
2. Strategic objective 2: Establish rigorous quality assurance program for laboratory diagnosis and ensure prompt and effective treatment and follow up
3. Strategic objective 3: Strengthen services for surveillance for malaria case detection and rapid outbreak response system
4. Strategic objective 4: Strengthen effective collaboration and partnerships to support malaria elimination program
5. Strategic objective 5: Improve program management and performance
6. Strategic objective 6: Intensify advocacy and pursue effective IEC approaches for malaria elimination
7. Strategic objective 7: Conduct operational research on malaria elimination
8. Strategic objective 8: Strengthen Monitoring and evaluation of malaria elimination program.