Participation Study in the Development of Integrated Malaria Services, Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province

Abstract

          This qualitative research used in-depth interview technique to collect data from three groups of people. Group 1 was Policy level officer, Group 2 was community network level personnel who were responsible for malaria work in each public sector in Tha Song Yang district, Tak province, and Group 3 was service recipients (people). The objectives were 1) to study the participation process in developing integrated malaria services 2) to study implementation techniques and approaches in malaria prevention and control in the area.

         The research findings revealed that administrators and policy makers, community party network, and locals were involved in the participation process in developing integrated malaria services in alignment with Cohen and Uphoff’s forms of participation: 1) participation in deciding, planning, and implementing activities, 2) participation in the implementation to support personnel, resources, management, and coordination, 3) participation in direct and indirect benefits–every sector focused on decreasing malaria illness and mortality rates in the area, and 4) participation in follow-up and evaluatio–every sector participated in monitoring the implementation of every activity to propel forward the work of malaria prevention and control in the area. The public sectors and people coordinated harmoniously. Techniques or approaches of the successful implementation in malaria prevention and control in the area were to establish good relationship amongst each other. Informal meetings and talks would contribute more to work participation than formal manners. Establishing trust and reliability in one another would help in creating work participation. Establishing locals’ sense of ownership in implementing activities would give them pride, thus they would participate more. In addition, having one database system and applying good technology in diagnosis would help the implementation succeed, resulting in continual and creditable development.