This Information for Action Leaflet illustrates the role schools can play in preventing malaria and building awareness in the community about malaria prevention in Southern Africa. Produced by the Southern Africa Malaria Control (SAMC) in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), the leaflet underlines the need for primary and secondary schools to participate in malaria advocacy and use their roles as institutions to share information and facilitate resource mobilisation.

The leaflet outlines the following key elements for the successful implementation of a malaria advocacy programme at a primary or secondary school:

• Malaria awareness and knowledge among students, parents and teachers through malaria information packs, pre- and in-service training, extra-curricular activities and Parent-Teacher Association meetings
• Malaria education in school syllabi and practical fieldwork
• School health resource person or focal point: education, prevention and treatment of malaria
• Safer school environments: bed nets and screening of windows, environmental management
• Focal point for practical malaria control within the community – sale of bed nets and repellents; net reimpregnation days; basic environmental management

The leaflet also suggests materials that can be used as advocacy tools in the classroom environment, such as interactive posters, malaria activity books, flash cards, and flipcharts, which include ten-minute malaria lessons.

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SAMC website on February 3 2005.