COMBINE-PMC: A Community Advisory Board to strengthen the appropriation of malaria prevention

As part of the implementation of the COMBINE-PMC project, a first Community Advisory Board (CAB) was organized in Bouaflé, with the participation of institutional, health, community, and religious stakeholders.

The COMBINE-PMC project aims to evaluate a strategy for community-based delivery of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) by community health workers, as part of perennial malaria chemoprevention in children under two years of age. This approach seeks to improve access to malaria prevention and adherence to preventive interventions within communities.

This initiative is led by a consortium including Côte d’Ivoire and Togo’s National Malaria Control Programs, the PAC-CI Program, CARESP in Togo, the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), and the University of Bordeaux.

Engaging communities at the heart of the strategy

The establishment of the Community Advisory Board follows a co-construction workshop held in May 2026. It responds to the goal of developing a community mobilization strategy tailored to local realities and sensitive to gender issues.

The CAB’s mission includes contributing to the definition, organization, implementation, and monitoring of community mobilization activities around the project.

The discussions addressed several key challenges: understanding the community chemoprevention strategy and its alignment with the Expanded Program on Immunization, identifying barriers to its adoption, and analyzing social and gender norms that may influence children’s access to health services.

A participatory approach

The workshop was based on a participatory approach combining presentations, plenary discussions, and group work. Participants reflected on mechanisms for awareness-raising and community mobilization, the involvement of men in decisions regarding children’s health, and the empowerment of women.

The discussions also identified key actors, tools, and communication channels to effectively support community mobilization efforts.

The Board brought together representatives from the prefectural administration, religious leaders, the health district, the regional health directorate, community leaders, women’s groups, community health workers, and representatives from the National Malaria Control Program (PNLP) and PAC-CI. The workshop took place on July 27–28, 2026 at the Bouaflé prefecture.

Toward a community mobilization plan

Following this process, the defined guidelines will serve as the foundation for the project’s initial awareness-raising and community mobilization activities. A second CAB workshop is also planned to assess lessons learned from the first activities implemented and, if necessary, adapt the messages and approaches.

Through this approach, COMBINE-PMC places communities at the heart of reflection and action, with the goal of fostering greater ownership of malaria prevention interventions for young children while considering social realities and gender dynamics within households.