Tumaini Malenga

Summary: I am interested in researching health in relation to social and economic development. My focus is public health, specifically examining the determinants of health-seeking behaviour, health behaviour change and maintenance. I received an MSc in International Development (Social Policy Sciences) in 2010 from the University of Bath (UK). I am currently a PhD person at the University of Malawi's College of Medicine. Thesis title: "The Social Implications of Community-Driven Malaria Control Interventions in a High Malaria-Endemic Population: The Case for Majete Wildlife Reserve." Research Context: My research is embedded in a multi-stakeholder, community-driven malaria control project with a multipronged randomised controlled trial. It uses the WHO's Roll Back Malaria strategy, vector control, the Rolling Malaria Indicator Survey, and behaviour change communication for malaria control. This work is conducted in a remote region with high malaria prevalence and limited health service facilities and access. My research focuses on assessing the influence of behaviour change communication on changes in health behaviour, and the factors influencing a change and maintenance of positive behaviours. Problem Statement: Advancing scientific knowledge and technical expertise has not translated directly into efficient methods for malaria prevention and treatment. Socio-economic and socio-cultural factors influencing health behaviour have affected uptake and use of preventative interventions. The literature on prevention recognises the complexity of understanding the decision-making process related to health and malaria, and stresses the importance of understanding the structure and organisation of society in informing the design of effective health-behaviour-based interventions. Recently, participatory community engagement has been promoted as a means of implementing development projects to increase uptake and use of health interventions. Community-driven behaviour-change mechanisms have been suggested as tools to reap some benefit by engaging authors to work together toward a mutually beneficial goal. Yet empirical evidence of their effectiveness is mixed. There is a need to understand the socio-cultural nuances of health-seeking behaviour in the context of communal participation in a behaviour-change intervention.