WHO Course Empowers Africa’s Malaria Teams to Turn Data into Action

In northern Togo, spotting a spike in malaria cases early can mean the difference between swift treatment and hospital wards filled with critically ill children. Across Africa — where the vast majority of global malaria cases occur — the ability of frontline health workers to analyse and act on routine surveillance data is becoming a decisive factor in saving lives.

Yet many health workers are now expected to interpret trends and guide responses with limited access to advanced, practice-oriented training tailored to their language and context. When learning is not accessible or localised, data may be collected — but not fully used.

To bridge that gap, the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched Malaria: Harnessing the Power of Routine Health Facility Data, a course available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese through the WHO Academy online learning platform. The programme forms part of a blended learning initiative designed to strengthen data-driven decision-making in malaria programmes.

Local Language, Local Impact

From the outset, course developers — led by Dr Deepa Pindolia — built localisation into the design, recognising that mastering complex data analysis in a second or third language creates unnecessary barriers.

For Dr Atekpe Payakissim Somiabalo, National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) Coordinator in Togo, offering the course in French was essential.

"The main priority is training operational staff in a language they know so that everyone understands the importance of the data collected for decision-making," he said.

Malaria remains the leading cause of illness in Togo, accounting for:

• 30% of outpatient consultations

• 9% of hospitalisations

• More than 2.18 million cases in 2024

• 993 deaths in 2024

"Any effective intervention to combat a given disease is based on a better surveillance system," Dr Somiabalo added. "We need to develop contextualized operational action plans to solve the problems identified and improve coverage and performance indicators."

From Theory to Real-World Decisions

In Senegal, Mr Médoune Ndiop, a monitoring and surveillance specialist within the NMCP for more than two decades, underscored the importance of accessible learning across all levels of the health system.

"It increases participants' understanding and ensures they have a better grasp of concepts," he said. "The use of the local official language facilitates interactions with participants, especially in analysis and interpretation exercises."

Malaria expert and course facilitator Thibaud de Chevigny, who has worked extensively across African malaria programmes, argues localisation is foundational — not optional.

"Translation is absolutely essential, because most subnational programme teams and health information officers in Africa don't work in English," he said. "When people can learn in their own language, the concepts are clearer, the training feels more inclusive and it also creates more opportunity to cascade the learning."

Beyond translation, the course incorporates country-specific epidemiological data and case studies, helping participants connect technical concepts to daily operational realities.

"I've seen how participants become much more engaged when we use local epidemiological data," de Chevigny said. "Suddenly the discussions shift from theory to their daily reality."

A Region Carrying the Global Burden

The stakes are high. According to the World Malaria Report 2025:

• 94% of global malaria cases in 2024 occurred in the WHO African Region

• 95% of the 610,000 global malaria deaths were recorded in the region

• Three-quarters of deaths were among children under five

With growing insecticide and drug resistance, climate pressures, and declining funding, effective use of routine surveillance data has become even more critical.

Routine health facility data — when properly analysed — allows malaria programmes to:

• Detect outbreaks earlier

• Identify transmission hotspots

• Adjust resource allocation

• Strengthen supply chain management

• Target interventions more effectively

Building Confidence at the Frontline

For de Chevigny, the ultimate goal goes beyond technical knowledge.

"My main hope is that health-care workers come away with the confidence to use surveillance data as a powerful decision-making tool in their daily work," he said. "Their role at the frontline is central to reducing malaria's burden."

By combining multilingual access, contextualised content and practical exercises, WHO aims to transform routine data from a reporting obligation into a life-saving operational tool.

In a region that bears the overwhelming weight of global malaria, empowering frontline workers to interpret and act on data may be one of the most powerful interventions available.