GEMS 2019 Annual Report
This report shares the results from the GEMS program’s fourth and final year, during which private provider networks consolidated in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and
GEMS
Greater Mekong Subregion Elimination of Malaria through Surveillance
The Greater Mekong Subregion Elimination of Malaria through Surveillance program (GEMS) supports diverse private sector outlets to correctly test, treat and report malaria cases to accelerate malaria elimination in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam.
annual reports
2018 GEMS Annual Report
PSI’s GEMS program strengthens private sector case management and surveillance to accelerate malaria elimination in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam. This annual report shares
GEMS 2017 Annual Report
PSI’s GEMS program strengthens private sector case management and surveillance to accelerate malaria elimination in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam. This annual report shares
Country insights (2019)
Country-Specific Initiatives
How We Operate
Countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) have successfully brought down the number of malaria cases in the region over recent years and elimination is now in sight. This goal is urgent: the drugs and insecticides we use to fight malaria are losing their effectiveness and the GMS has historically been the epicenter for drug resistance. Malaria needs to be eliminated before it is too late for Asia, and before resistance spreads to Africa where malaria continues to take hundreds of thousands of lives every year.
GEMS takes a unique approach to malaria elimination:
- Mapping & Enrollment
- Comprehensive Training
- Securing Supply Chains
- Electronic Reporting App & Data Analysis
- Documentation of Lessons Learned & Best Practices
Technology and Surveillance
PSI is investing in the development and roll-out of intuitive, innovative tech solutions.
- PSI co-developed the Malaria Case Surveillance (MCS) app to allow providers to easily report cases as soon as they find them in an easy-to-use interface. Utilizing this real-time data collection from providers in the field, PSI is able to make informed decisions.
- The Health Network Quality Improvement System (HNQIS) tablet-based app was created to enable PSI staff to score provider performance against global best practice benchmarks, in order to provide immediate and constructive feedback to continue improving provider quality. HNQIS also helps our team know which providers need more assistance and can plan their supervisory support visits accordingly.
- PSI uses the District Health Network Information System (DHIS2) to house its electronic surveillance system, which allows for widespread access to data and user-friendly tools to visualize data in ways that facilitates decision making.
Our Impact
In 2016-2019, GEMS achieved the following impact:
3,531,837
malaria tests conducted
96,216
malaria cases detected, treated and reported
24,454
outlets and worksites supported
Frequently Asked Questions
In Southeast Asia, between 40-70% of the population first seek health care in the private sector, meaning that private providers potentially see most of the malaria cases in the region. It is therefore critical that private sector outlets are able to test for malaria, and are stocked with the right drugs in order to provide correct treatment.
PSI works with the private providers that at-risk communities trust most. This includes doctors working at registered private clinics and pharmacies, as well as community health volunteers and non-formal outlets that can be a significant source of drugs and advice in some areas. To reach some of the most at-risk groups, GEMS has a network of malaria volunteers on large worksites near forested areas where many marginalized and mobile workers are based, often far from any other health facility.
Malaria elimination will fail without surveillance, and surveillance is incomplete without including data from the private sector. Without it, the government is not seeing the full picture.
PSI uses DHIS2, which is an open-source software allowing for greater access to data, and tools to help visualize data and automatically generate indicator calculations and reports. More information on DHIS2 can be found here.
| Between 2008-2016, ACTwatch conducted outlet surveys, household surveys and supply chain research to better understand the market for and use of anti-malarial drugs and rapid diagnostic tests. The data is available here. |
In the News
The spread of artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum in the Greater Mekong subregion: a molecular epidemiology observational study
Evidence suggests that the PfKelch13 mutations that confer artemisinin resistance in falciparum malaria have multiple independent origins across the Greater Mekong subregion, which has motivated
Malaria is getting bigger and badder — and we’re not ready for it
Over the past 15 years, the number of annual deaths due to malaria has plummeted by about 400,000, according to the World Health Organization. Scientists
Malaria risk factors and care-seeking behaviour within the private sector among high-risk populations in Vietnam: a qualitative study
Vietnam has successfully reduced malaria incidence by more than 90% over the past 10 years, and is now preparing for malaria elimination. However, the remaining
An assessment of national surveillance systems for malaria elimination in the Asia Pacific
Heads of Government from Asia and the Pacific have committed to a malaria-free region by 2030. In 2015, the total number of confirmed cases reported
Malaria and the mobile and migrant population in Cambodia: a population movement framework to inform strategies for malaria control and elimination
The relationships between human population movement (HPM) and health are a concern at the global level. In the case of malaria, those links are crucial
Malaria Wars
A disaster is looming in Cambodia and the rest of the Greater Mekong subregion: A deadly malaria parasite has become resistant to both drugs used
Resources
