Navigating change: Guyana's National Malaria Programme partners with AMP Health

AMP Health has ventured outside Africa for the first time by partnering with Guyana’s Ministry of Health (MoH) to support its National Malaria Programme (NMP). Located on the North Atlantic coast of South America, Guyana is known for its abundance of natural resources. The tropical country has undergone rapid economic growth in recent years due to its substantial oil, diamond, gold, and bauxite reserves (with the latter used to create aluminum).  

Small-scale, artisanal and traditional mining is legal and common throughout Guyana, with much of this mining activity isolated to the country’s hinterland. Guyana’s tropical climate makes malaria endemic to the area, but most cases are found in four of Guyana’s 10 regions. These regions are home to remote communities and have high concentrations of mining and logging activity, which are known to drive malaria transmissions. 

Our partnership with the NMP aims to support the team to navigate through a period of transition. Historically, a large source of funding for Guyana's NMP has come from the Global Fund, which supports low- and middle-income countries with a high disease burden. However, this funding is set to come to an end following rapid economic growth in the South American nation and Guyana’s resultant reclassification as a high-income country. This has disqualified it from being an eligible Global Fund grant recipient.  

The Guyana National Malaria Elimination Strategy is an ambitious one, with a case reduction target of 75% by 2030 (based on 2015 case numbers). Achieving this while navigating change will present leadership and management (L&M) challenges for the NMP team. AMP Health will build on its considerable experience working with NMP teams in the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, and Namibia to enhance the Guyanese NMP team’s L&M, problem-solving, and analytical capabilities.  

Guyana’s NMP team with AMP Health’s Director of Global Operations, Kiribakka Tendo (second from left); Senior Learning Expert, Rhys Johnstone (third from right); and Management Partner, Andrew Hyeroba (far right).

Embedded support for effective change management  

Guyana’s MoH is aware that effective communication between national and regional offices is crucial for targeted public health interventions to succeed. Its NMP team is responsible for policy formulation, planning, and coordination at central and regional levels, and must simultaneously develop comprehensive strategies for addressing malaria at a national scale while coordinating the implementation of these efforts effectively at the regional level.  

In April 2024, AMP Health embedded a Management Partner (MP) within Guyana’s NMP at the MoH’s national headquarters. MPs are experienced professionals with L&M expertise who work closely with our partner teams. Their role is to strengthen the teams' L&M skills while also serving as a resource for collaborative problem-solving.  

AMP Health’s MP in Guyana, Andrew Hyeroba, previously served as an MP with the Liberia Ministry of Health. Andrew is helping strengthen the national team’s capacity to provide more tailored support to address specific challenges and opportunities unique to each region. In the first few weeks, he has focused on identifying key priorities and building capacity. Once these priorities are identified, the MP will work with the NMP team to develop partnership objectives and focus areas for the embedded partnership phase. Additionally, AMP Health has hosted a workshop to enhance the NMP team’s L&M capacity, which took place at the end of April 2024.  

Tailoring strategies for regional success 

AMP Health and its MP are supporting Guyana’s NMP team in the following ways:  

Strategic planning  

We are providing coaching and mentorship to develop and implement comprehensive strategic plans for the Regional Malaria Programmes (RMP), aligning goals with the national programme and regional elimination objectives. Additionally, we are assisting in setting clear objectives, performance indicators, and timeliness for effective programme management at a regional level.   

Capacity building

AMP Health is identifying skill gaps within the RMP’s teams and supporting the development of targeted training and professional development initiatives to address these gaps. Our aim is to improve coordination and communication between central and regional levels and between different components of the NMP, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.  

Monitoring and evaluation

We are working with the NMP team in establishing robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess program effectiveness and make more use of data for decision-making. This includes designing and implementing a system for regular regional performance reviews and feedback loops to adapt strategies based on real-time data.   

Community engagement

The MP is supporting the NMP team in developing strategies for effective community engagement and behaviour change communication at the regional level. These strategies will promote awareness and participation in malaria prevention activities, including through community-based initiatives that empower local populations to take ownership of their health.   

Research and innovation

AMP Health is encouraging a culture of research and innovation within the NMP to stay up-to-date on emerging trends and technologies. Our support includes exploring opportunities for pilot projects and collaborations to test and implement innovative interventions.   

Relationship management

The NMP team collaborates with a range of stakeholders both within and outside the MoH. These include the RMP teams already mentioned, other departments within the MoH, NGOs, private sector partners, implementing partners and funding agencies, as well as regional stakeholders such as Breakthrough ACTION Guyana and the Pan American Health Organization Country Office. AMP Health is supporting the NMP team to strengthen the required skills to effectively manage their relationships with these stakeholders and improve coordination and collaboration.    

We look forward to monitoring the NMP’s developments as Guyana moves through this transitory period. Keep an eye on our LinkedIn and our website for more updates as our partnership progresses.