What is it about?
We need more clarity, transparency, and timeliness in many global health policy processes. This article discusses the WHO Global Malaria Programme's policy recommendation processes for treating P. vivax malaria. 36 international malaria stakeholders were interviewed to get insights into these processes. Four themes related to policy frameworks and factors influencing global and national policymaking were identified from these conversations. These were policy change triggers, evidence review frameworks, effects of funding on policy decisions and process transparency. In summary, global antimalarial policy making would benefit from ensuring that identified triggers actually initiate the policy change process, a framework to i) guide policy prioritization and ii) assess contextual evidence is needed, more understanding of the effects of the WHO's funding model on its antimalarial policy recommendations and more transparency of the policymaking process overall is needed.
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Why is it important?
Suggests new approaches to global malaria policy making processes to enhance clarity, transparency, and timeliness of these processes to non-WHO malaria stakeholders.
Perspectives
Researching and writing this article was very challenging but ultimately rewarding. I was advised by my highly experienced co-authors and PhD supervisors with whom I have closely collaborated since 2019. I hope that this article encourages anyone working in the global malaria policymaking space to consider ways to improve these processes for the benefit of its end-users - malaria patients.
VARUNIKA RUWANPURA
Charles Darwin University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Evidence uptake is only part of the process: Stakeholders’ insights on WHO treatment guideline recommendation processes for radical cure of P. vivax malaria, PLOS Global Public Health, March 2024, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002990.
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Resources
ACREME webinar
Opening the policy black box: Unravelling the process for changing diagnostic and treatment guidelines for vivax malaria in seven countries and Options Assessment Toolkit: Assisting Asia Pacific National Malaria Programs for Optimized Radical Cure of Vivax Malaria
When malaria policy gets personal
Australian Broadcasting Corporation Podcast
Opening the policy blackbox
Article on antimalarial policy processes in seven endemic countries.
Further evidence needed to change policy for the safe and effective radical cure of vivax malaria
Health policy article
Contributors
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