Using Consumer Marketing Strategies to Transform the Private Market for Malaria Treatment

Posted June 1, 2017

By Katie MacDonald, Deputy Chief of Party for DEFEAT Malaria, PSI/ASF

More than 11 million malaria cases are reported annually in the Democratic Republic of Congo, making it the second most malaria-affected country in the world. Yet, appropriate malaria diagnosis and treatment is often unavailable, especially in private clinics and pharmacies where over 70% percent of the population in DRC seek care for fever related illnesses.

Through the DFID funded “Support to Malaria Control in the DRC” program, also known as DEFEAT Malaria, PSI and network member Association de Santé Familiale (ASF) are working to improve the availability of and access to quality malaria medicines in DRC’s private sector. Under leadership from DRC’s National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) at the Ministry of Health (MOH) and in partnership with six WHO pre-qualified drug manufacturers, the DEFEAT malaria program is facilitating market level changes that will increase both the supply and demand of quality-assured artemisinin-based combination therapies (QAACTs) – the frontline medication for malaria – in DRC’s private sector.

An important part of transforming the market is creating demand at the consumer level for the products and services you are promoting. Check out key lessons the project has learned during their first year of implementation that have gotten them one step closer towards building a market for quality-assured ACTs in DRC’s private sector.

1. Make a splash with your product launch.

A strategic public launch for a new product brand is an important opportunity to give an initial boost in sales and allow the product to reach a larger audience. Acknowledging this, the DEFEAT MALARIA project planned a large launch event in coordination with a local marketing agency that included a strategic media plan, grassroots marketing, and important keynote speakers from the government and donor (?) to create excitement around quality-assured ACTs. Implemented in coordination with the government, the launch proved successful and worth the investment. Following the event, the project saw an increase in monthly sales from 10,000 treatments to 40,000 and it remained a reference point following the activity.

2. Develop a brand identity that resonates with your audience.

The market for malaria medications in the DRC is flooded with non-quality assured medications. The DEFEAT MALARIA project had to develop the identity of a “Green Leaf” logo to be synonymous with quality in order to differentiate it from the rest of the products on the market. This concept was communicated by telling the stories of Congolese people making decisions about their health and the health of their families when they were sick but who lacked guidance in terms of what treatments worked. The Green Leaf is promoted as a simple way to guide consumers through the decision making process of identifying a quality malaria treatment.

The project team worked with a local affiliate of Ogilvy & Mather, Océan, to create the campaign for the Green Leaf brand. Messaging focused on testing all fevers prior to treatment and using a QAACT recommended by NMCP and identifying quality malaria treatment by the Green Leaf. These messages were consistent across the consumer marketing strategy and visible in posters, billboards and radio and TV spots.

3. Find creative ways to engage providers.

The medical detailers working on the DEFEAT MALARIA project provided posters and other gadgets to all pharmacies and clinics stocking the goods. These providers saw the marketing tools as a benefit given that many don’t have the budget for promotional materials and used the posters as an opportunity to improve the appearance of their stores or pharmacies. The messaging on the posters focused on promoting the affordability and quality of the products bearing the Green Leaf and noted product approval from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Fund, and DRC’s NMCP. The posters and stocking the products provided a certain level of prestige to the pharmacies and clinics, which further motivated the retailers to participate in the program.

Banner photo: © Population Services International / Banner Photo by: Benjamin Schilling

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Digitalizing contraceptive counseling to reach rural women and girls in Ethiopia

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In rural Ethiopia, women and girls often face significant barriers in accessing healthcare facilities, which can be located hours away. Moreover, there is a prevailing stigma surrounding the use of contraception, with concerns about potential infertility or the perception of promiscuity. To address these challenges, the Smart Start initiative has emerged, linking financial well-being with family planning through clear and relatable messaging that addresses the immediate needs of young couples—planning for the lives and families they envision. Smart Start takes a community-based approach, utilizing a network of dedicated Navigators who engage with women in their localities. These Navigators provide counseling and refer interested clients to Health Extension Workers or healthcare providers within Marie Stopes International-operated clinics for comprehensive contraceptive counseling and services.

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In 2022, 328 thousand malaria cases were recorded by CHWs); 6.5 thousand severe malaria cases were referred to health centers, according to the national health information system.

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Supervisors directly observed how CHWs performed malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and administered artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). They recorded CHW performance using the digitized checklist, interviewed community members, reviewed records, and provided on-the-spot coaching. They also interviewed the CHWs and tried to resolve challenges they expressed, including with resupply of commodities or equipment immediately or soon afterwards.

Beyond the observed interactions with patients, supervisors heard from community members that they were pleased that CHWs were able to provide essential malaria services in the community. And the data shows the impact.

In IM-supported areas of Mali, 36% of CHWs in the first round were competent in performing the RDT, which rose to 53% in the second. 24% of CHWs in the first round compared to 38% in the second were competent in the treatment of fever cases and pre-referral counseling. Between both rounds, availability of ACT increased from 80 percent to 90 percent.

Supportive supervision with interviews and observations at sites improved the basic competencies of CHWs between the first and second rounds, and additional rounds will help to understand the longer-term programmatic benefits.

Taking a market-based approach to scale sanitation in Ethiopia

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“Rather than relying on traditional aid models that often distribute free or heavily subsidized sanitation products, market-based sanitation creates sustainable and affordable solutions, integrating market forces and supporting businesses to grow.”

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Training health workers in Angola

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The shortage of skilled health workers is widely acknowledged as a significant barrier to achieving Universal Health Coverage. To address this challenge, PSI supported ministries of health to develop a digital ecosystem that brings together stewardship, learning, and performance management (SLPM). The ecosystem enhances training, data-driven decision-making, and the efficiency of healthcare delivery.

Here’s what it looks like in practice.

In July 2020, PSI Angola, alongside the Angolan digital innovation company Appy People, launched Kassai, an eLearning platform that targets public sector health workers in Angola. Through funding from USAID and the President’s Malaria Initiatve (PMI), Kassai features 16 courses in malaria, family planning, and maternal and child health – with plans to expand learning topic areas through funding from ExxonMobil Foundation and private sector companies. A partnership with UNITEL, the largest telecommunication provider in Angola, provides all public health providers in Angola free internet access to use Kassai.

Kassai’s analytics system to follow learners’ success rate and to adjust the course content to learners’ performance and needs. Kassai analytics are integrated with DHIS2 – the Health Management Information System (HMIS) of Angolan MOH, to be able to link learners’ knowledge and performance with the health outcomes in the health facilities. The analytics track learners’ performance by course and gives visibility by health provider, health facility, municipality, and province. Each course has pre-and post-evaluation tests to track progress of learning, too.

By the end of 2022, there were 6,600 unique users on the Kassai platform and 31,000 course enrollments. PSI Angola’s partnership with UNITEL, the largest telecommunication provider in Angola, allows for free internet access to learn on the Kassai for all public health providers in Angola. Building on its success for malaria training, Kassai now also provides courses in family planning, COVID-19, and maternal and child health. This reduces training silos and provides cross-cutting benefits beyond a single disease.

Implementing the SLPM digital ecosystem brings numerous benefits to health systems. It allows for more strategic and efficient workforce training and performance management, enabling ministries of health to track changes in health workers’ knowledge, quality of care, service utilization, and health outcomes in real time. The ecosystem also supports better stewardship of mixed health systems by facilitating engagement with the private sector, aligning training programs and standards of care, and integrating private sector data into national HMIS. Furthermore, it enables the integration of community health workers into the broader health system, maximizing their impact and contribution to improving health outcomes and strengthening primary healthcare.

Using Consumer Marketing Strategies to Transform the Private Market for Malaria Treatment

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The Consumer as CEO

Digitalizing contraceptive counseling to reach rural women and girls in Ethiopia

Building community health worker capacity to deliver malaria care

Taking a market-based approach to scale sanitation in Ethiopia

Promoting self-managed care like Self-testing and Self-Sampling

Using peer coaches to counter HIV stigma in South Africa

simplifying consumers’ journey to care in Vietnam

Engaging the private sector for disease surveillance in Myanmar

Training health workers in Angola

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