Combating malaria in Kenya through collaborative population health education: a systematic review and pilot case study

BackgroundMalaria continues to be a public health problem in Kenya, with an estimated 37.2 million people at high risk of the disease. The disease burden is compounded by inequalities in health service availability, housing, socioeconomic conditions, and access to education.ObjectivesWe aimed to determine the status of community-based, health education interventions. Based on the findings, to develop an educational module for medical students to combat malaria in Kenya.MethodsA systematic review was conducted to identify different educational interventions, their successes and limitations, and legal challenges leading to low uptake and adherence to malaria prevention interventions from 2000-2023. Consequently, a 6-week online educational pilot was conducted with healthcare students from Kenya, Japan, the UK, and Cyprus.ResultsDespite developing a national malaria strategy and monitoring and evaluation strategies, Kenya has not been able to meet the incidence reduction targets set by the World Health Organisation, underscoring the need for more work in identifying the barriers to implementing strategies and optimising the distribution of public health interventions. Student teams proposed innovative solutions, including two-tier malaria control strategies, maternal malaria clinical education, community awareness through schools and NGOs, and a 10-year health system strengthening and immunisation plan.ConclusionsPublic education regarding prevention strategies and increasing their adoption remains a key challenge in combating malaria in Kenya. In this regard, digital tools can facilitate international collaborative health education and exchange of best practices, allowing students and faculty to engage across boundaries and prepare them to be future-ready physicians connected to the global community.

Automated summary

Malaria remains a public health problem in Kenya, but current education interventions are insufficient. Through studying the effectiveness, limitations, and legal challenges of various interventions, an online education pilot project was conducted to train medical students in combating malaria. The results showed that challenges still exist in public education and adoption, and digital tools can facilitate international collaborative health education.