Status quo and strategies of malaria risk management: an assessment based on ground theory methodology

Objective To explore and summarize the experience and problems in malaria risk management and to provide suggestions for making malaria risk management strategies to eliminate malaria epidemic.Methods Based on the ground theory methodology (GTM),we randomly chose 24 staff engaged in malaria prevention and control in Hubei and Anhui province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for a semi-structured interview between June 2015 and March 2016.We interviewed two experts on front-line control and prevention of malaria in centers for disease control and prevention of Henan and Shandong province as a supplement.After the above works we qualitatively analyzed the data collected.Results The efficient malaria risk management in the surveyed areas is mainly affected by the attention from government agencies,standardized malaria prevention measures, monitoring and screening,case treatment,and research programs on the issue.The major problems hindering malaria risk management include insufficient funds for malaria control,low awareness on malaria prevention and control among local residents and grassroots medical staff,increased risk of malaria transmission due to population mobility,and difficulties in malaria surveillance because of variations in second-generation malaria cases and Plasmodium falciparum.Conclusion Government agencies should pay more attentions on malaria risk management; funding on malaria control and researches needs to be increased and adjusted and a coordinative mechanism should be established among agencies involved in malaria control.