摘要：Malaria poses a significant public health burden in the remote areas of western Cambodia, where access to health services and information is limited. Recognizing the potential of village malaria workers to reach these communities, the US Agency for International Development-funded Malaria Control in Cambodia project used a multipronged approach to strengthen the village malaria workers network. As a result, the proportion of confirmed malaria cases treated by village malaria workers has doubled during the past 2 years, significantly increasing the numbers being properly diagnosed and treated. Key to the program's success has been the integration of village malaria workers with public health facilities, improved patient access to prompt diagnosis and treatment, and resolution of systemic barriers such as logistics for rapid diagnostic tests. KEY FINDINGS ▪Strengthening the system of village malaria workers can have significant results in increasing early diagnosis and treatment of malaria. ▪Village malaria workers can be trained to perform rapid diagnostic tests and malaria smears and provide appropriate antimalarial treatments at the community level. ▪Linkages with the public health sector are critical for ensuring up-to-date malaria information for the village malaria workers, improving the flow of supplies to and community data for the health centers, and procuring supplies. CAMBODIA HAS A MALARIA incidence rate of 6.26 cases per 1000 inhabitants (2009). 1 The transmission of malaria is particularly high in the western provinces near the Thai border, which have poor road conditions, limited means of communication, and a high number of migrant workers because of cross-border economic activities. In the context of high malaria incidence in remote communities, the role of village malaria workers in providing malaria services is critical. The National Malaria Center (CNM) requires that village malaria workers be present in malaria-endemic villages more than 5 kilometers from health facilities or more than 1-hour walking distance. Village malaria workers reach out to community members with malaria information, provide mosquito nets, diagnose malaria cases with rapid diagnostic tests, provide malaria treatment, and refer severe malaria cases to health facilities.
