Private Sector Engagement in the Prevention

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Private Sector Engagement in the Prevention
Control of Malaria in Nepal

• Empowering Private Sector Health Providers

Steven. W Honeyman Population Services
International Nepal GFATM Private Sector
Partnerships Meeting New Delhi, India December
13, 2007
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Private Sector EngagementFILLING THE GAP
Opportunity to Reach
Access to health facilities to rural populations
Over 10,000 private pharmacies in Nepal About
40 in rural VDCs Population coverage per retail
outlet 5,360 in rural VDCs
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Public-Private-Partnerships for Health Impact in
Nepal A Nepal Government National Priority

• Public-private partnership initiatives are
  highlighted within the Government of Nepals
  Health Sector Reform Strategy.
• Malaria control and prevention is an intervention
  area where the government is actively engaging
  private sector partners in helping to achieve
  national goals and objectives.
• The Government of Nepal and Population Services
  International (PSI) are working in partnership to
  implement malaria prevention and control
  activities in 13 high-risk districts in Nepal.
• The program strategy used a creative and
  innovative project implementation approach which
  capitalized on the core competencies of the
  government, the private sector, non-government
  organizations and civil society.

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Program Strategy
Engagement of private sector health providers
Partnership with NGO civil society
Mix of public, social marketing and private
sector partnership activities
Design implementation of M E tools and
activities to strengthen partnership and
coordination
Development and implementation of BCC activities
Design and implementation of target group research
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Engagement of Private Sector Health Providers

• Objectives
• Establish distribution outlets for social
  marketing of long lasting insecticide treated
  nets (LLINs)
• Increase public access to trained private sector
  health providers who have the capacity to quickly
  detect and effectively treat malaria
• Increase malaria cases referred from private
  sector health outlets to public health
  facilities
• Encourage documentation and reporting of malaria
  cases by private sector health facilities to the
  government system.

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Empowering Private Sector Health Providers

• Training package Social Marketing Training for
  Malaria Prevention Treatment was designed for
  private sector health service providers in
  coordination with the Epidemiology and Disease
  Control Division (EDCD), Ministry of Health and
  Populations.
• Conducted training of private sector health
  service providers (drug retailers) and Female
  Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) in
  coordination with the District Public Health
  Offices.

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Empowering Private Sector Health Providers

• Training objectives
• Understand the importance of prevention of
  malaria especially in pregnant women and under
  five children.
• Develop understanding of social marketing and its
  importance in the developing country like Nepal.
• Develop understanding of malaria, malaria
  prevention and treatment, usage of long lasting
  insecticide treated nets (SupaNet) and reporting
  documentation.
• Practice effective counseling procedures and
  practices for malaria prevention and malaria
  prevention message to the community and the
  referral of confirmed malaria patients to nearby
  higher-level health facilities.

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Results

• Trained 1,427 private sector health providers in
  9 districts (2006-2007).
• 44,086 LLINs social marketed through private
  sector pharmacies.
• Improved knowledge of malaria prevention and
  treatment after training. (basis of evaluation of
  pre and post test questionnaires)

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Other Potential Roles for the Private Sector in
Malaria Control

• Increasing the availability of ACT through the
  private sector.
• Working with drug and net manufacturers to
  provide additional behavior change, use, branding
  or marketing information on packaging and
  communications materials.
• Improving health seeking behavior (mass
  media/interpersonal communications).
• Combining (public private) requests for
  funding.
• Improving distribution networks through private
  sector based on local context.
• Partnering in campaign activities and events at
  the community level.
• Growing private sector markets for drugs,
  diagnostic devices, treatment and LLIN mosquito
  nets for sustainability.

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Summary

• To be successful, the fight against malaria must
  harness cross-sectoral capabilities and
  interests.
• The private sector has a major role and
  contribution in vital scaling-up strategies.