Effectiveness of an expanded role for community health workers on malaria blood examination rates in malaria elimination settings in Myanmar: an open stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Background: As Greater Mekong Subregion countries approach malaria elimination, the motivation and social role of community health workers (CHWs), and malaria blood examination rates, have declined in parallel with decreasing malaria burden. To address this issue, a health system model which expanded the role for CHWs was co-designed with communities and health stakeholders in the Mekong Subregion and field-tested in Myanmar. Methods: An open stepped-wedge cluster-randomised (at the village-level) controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04695886) was conducted in 72 villages in Myanmar from Nov 1, 2021 to April 17, 2022 to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the expanded CHW..