Community Participation and Implementation of Malaria Vector Control Projects: a Case of Bobirwa District, Botswana

Abstract

Community participation has been acknowledged as a major element for effective implementation of health interventions including malaria management since the public has a significant responsibility not just as entities but also as subjects of disease annihilation program. The research scrutinized community participation and implementation of malaria vector control projects. The research was further directed by the undermentioned objectives: to evaluate the influence of participation of the community in project administration, on the implementation of malaria vector control projects; to establish the influence of participation of the community in capacity building on implementation of malaria vector control projects; to examine the influence of the participation of the community in project communication, on implementation of malaria vector control project and lastly to analyze the influence of participation of the community in monitoring and evaluation, on implementation of malaria vector control projects in Bobirwa district, Botswana. The research adopted l descriptive cross-section survey research design. The total target population was 19,829 individuals comprised of community members and community field workers from 12 villages participating in malaria vector control in Bobirwa district, Botswana. The sample size was 401 persons. Data was gathered through a set of questionnaires and analysis done using descriptive statistics. For descriptive statistics, measures of central tendency and measures of dispersion were used. The findings were presented using tables. Results showed that communities in Bobirwa district participated in projects administration process, capacity building, and selection of training participants. Results also showed that structured channels of communication that encouraged community members’ participation in the malaria vector control project and in monitoring and evaluation enhanced the implementation of malaria vector control projects in Bobirwa district, Botswana. The research concluded that participation in project administration, capacity building, project communication, and monitoring and evaluation by the community members enhanced the implementation of malaria vector control projects in Bobirwa district. Based on the study results, it was recommends that the project implementation committee ought to ensure that project beneficiaries fully partake in the management process, it’s important to continue laying metrics that unearth the potential and foster capacity development amongst the project beneficiaries, reliable channels of communication should be put in place to ensure seamless communication between all the stakeholders involved in the project, and an efficient framework must be put in place to ensure that community actively participate in joint monitoring and evaluation of malaria vector control projects.