2001-2010 United Nations Decade to Roll Back Malaria

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Monitoring and evaluation

THE RBM initiative has a precise objective—to halve the world's malaria burden by 2010—which it means to achieve with interventions known to be effective against malaria, resting on well-defined strategies. Monitoring and evaluation are essential components of RBM since monitoring measures the implementation of RBM's range of strategic activities while evaluation measures the extent to which its objectives are being reached.

Monitoring, which is a continuous on-going activity allows step-by-step recording of the progress made by health programmes in general and RBM in particular. Monitoring, which measures process indicators, should be carried out at district, as well as at provincial, national, regional and global levels. Apart from ensuring that RBM activities are being implemented in the agreed manner, it allows decision-makers to stay aware of all problems and constraints which may slow down progress and provide the information they may need to refine their planning.

Evaluation is concerned with impact indicators, which allow periodic assessment of the way in which strategies and implemented activities reach the planned objectives.

Evaluation indicators fall into two groups:

• Outcome-based: By collecting information on, for example, the number of malaria sufferers who have been able to access timely treatment, or by measuring changes in the population's knowledge, attitude and practice of the population to malaria and the use of malaria interventions.
• Impact-based: By measuring, for example, the evolution of mortality, morbidity or even the economic losses caused by malaria.

Five indicators are considered so important by all partners that they have been selected as global indicators.

There are two impact indicators…

• Malaria death rate (probable and confirmed cases) among target groups (under-fives and other targets groups); and
• Number of malaria cases, severe and uncomplicated (probable and confirmed) among target groups (under-fives and other target groups).

… and three outcome indicators.

• Proportion of households having at least one insecticide-treated mosquito net;
• Percentage of patients with uncomplicated malaria getting correct treatment at health facility and community levels, according to the national guidelines, within 24 hours of onset of symptoms; and
• Percentage of health facilities reporting no disruption of stock of antimalarial drugs (as specified in the national drug policy) for more than one week during the previous three months.

However, all countries implementing RBM strategies are free to define additional indicators that suit the local epidemiological situation and the specific RBM strategies important to that country.

All monitoring and evaluation data are collected at country level and used to improve the management of malaria control programmes. Results are also shared with RBM partners and transmitted to regional offices and WHO headquarters for compilation, analysis and assessment of the global malaria situation.

Roll Back Malaria is a global partnership initiated by WHO, UNDP, UNICEF and the World Bank in 1998. It seeks to work with governments, other development agencies, NGOs, and private sector companies to reduce the human and socio-economic costs of malaria.
Roll Back Malaria, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 791 2891 E-mail: inforbm@who.int www.rollbackmalaria.org