The C2F program aims to educate children on malaria prevention and management, turning them into advocates for malaria elimination. Over the last three months, Malaria Partners Uganda (MPU) expanded the C2F program to four schools in Eastern and West Nile regions, building on earlier pilots in Bugiri.
In the Soroti District, C2F launched at the Awoja Primary School with 1,973 students and Kamuda Primary School with 2,348 students.
In Arua District, Arua Hill Primary School enrolled 2,185 students and Arua Primary School enrolled 2,200 students.
This quarter’s rollout engaged 8,706 students in total.
Each school named student champions, teacher patrons, and Community Health Workers to lead C2F activities and keep malaria prevention messages moving from classrooms to households.
Stakeholder engagement was a priority.
With the Rotary Club of Soroti Central, MPU convened more than 50 participants in Kamuda Village, including district health and education leaders, school leaders, Village Health Teams, community heads, and Rotarians, to align on roles and support.
World Malaria Day activities in Soroti amplified the program. A radio discussion with education officials highlighted the burden of malaria on learning, and community barazas at Awoja and Kamuda encouraged parents and local leaders to participate.
Rotary awareness grew as three clubs received C2F presentations. Nansana Metro, Busabala in formation, and Arua engaged about 100 Rotarians, Rotaractors, and guests in person and online.
The focus remains simple and effective. Equip children with clear knowledge on malaria prevention and testing, support them with teachers and CHWs, and help families apply these practices at home.
"The signature MPU Child to Family (C2F) school initiative, where school children are at the fore front in the fight against malaria continues to take shape and bear fruits. 4 Rotary clubs with 8 schools have been added onto the 4 from 2024.
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The Champion body is growing bigger and stronger across schools and Rotary Clubs; and Malaria Clubs have started taking shape across schools where the initiative is established."
-Eva Kagona, Executive Director, MPU
More about the C2F Program
The C2F program empowers young students to become advocates for malaria prevention, treatment and awareness. Through educational modules, students learn the basics of malaria transmission, the application of test strips, the factors that heighten someone’s vulnerability to malaria, and the symptoms. Once educated, these students are able to bring this knowledge back home to their families and community contacts.
The C2F strategy has proved extremely successful in generating community awareness, through the ripple effect of thousands of young students equipped with the knowledge and skills to promote malaria prevention best practices in their homes. The teachers who share this information with the students are also offered the opportunity to be trained on malaria prevention, and so far 24 Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been trained and oriented to particular school initiatives.
Testing students at the elementary schools for malaria is an efficient strategy for identifying what families are most at risk.
If a student tests positive for malaria it is highly likely that one or more individuals living in their household are also carrying the disease. Thus, the C2F program allows CHWs to more effectively target their testing efforts towards those who are most in need. As the parasite can be spread from an afflicted individual to a mosquito and then into a healthy individual it is crucial to identify those carrying the disease even if they are asymptomatic.