Guiding principles for prioritizing malaria interventions in resource-constrained country contexts to achieve maximum impact

Overview

In response to ever increasing financial constraints, the WHO Malaria and Neglected Tropical Disease Department and Regional Offices, in consultation with selected national malaria programme (NMP) managers and technical partners, have updated in this second edition the WHO guiding principles for prioritizing interventions in resource-constrained country contexts to achieve maximum impact. These guiding principles provide a framework for country decision-making to define the most appropriate mix of malaria interventions for specific geographical areas or risk groups when resources are constrained.

This document deals with high-impact interventions, in particular early diagnosis and treatment, insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying (IRS), malaria vaccines and chemoprevention options with specific focus on areas of moderate to high transmission. To strengthen the evidence base of the prioritization guidance, in July 2024, WHO launched a collaborative project to mathematically model the health impact and cost-effectiveness of various mixes of malaria control interventions. The results of the malariasimulation and OpenMalaria models were reviewed by WHO and independent experts, including NMP managers, with inputs by the Malaria Policy Advisory Group in April 2026, and informed the development this second edition.