Beyond Africa: Guyana’s malaria-elimination efforts gain momentum
In 2024, we embarked on our first partnership outside of Africa when Guyana’s National Malaria Programme (NMP) requested Amp Health’s support during a critical period of transition. During 10 months of targeted intervention, the NMP team made fundamental changes, laying the groundwork for lasting improvements in the way the programme operates today.
Historically, a large source of funding for Guyana's NMP has come from the Global Fund, which supports low- and middle-income countries with high disease burdens. However, with its rapid growth and resultant reclassification as a high-income country, Guyana will soon no longer be permitted to apply for Global Fund grants.
With this new reclassification, Guyana's Ministry of Health recognised the need to accelerate the technical, leadership, and management capacity of its staff to achieve its ambitious National Malaria Elimination Strategy, which aims to reduce malaria cases by 75% by 2030 (compared to 2015 numbers).
Did you know?
Only 16% of Guyana’s landscape is occupied and connectivity between main hubs and remote towns and villages has historically been an issue. Amp Health has worked with national and regional health teams to improve communication, especially in the harder-to-reach areas, improving access for vulnerable populations to life-saving malaria-control initiatives.
How strengthened systems drove impact
By the end of 2024, the NMP team had distributed 100 000 long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), which provide both a physical barrier against mosquitoes and a chemical defence through their insecticide coating, killing mosquitoes on contact. The NMP also secured and distributed 20 000 rapid diagnostic tests and treated 19 196 people for malaria. In addition, 81 volunteer malaria testers were trained for mining communities and 68 additional malaria testing sites were opened, expanding access to testing, early diagnosis, and treatment in hard-to-reach and high-risk areas.
Amp Health’s support has been integral to these successes. An Amp Health Management Partner, Andeh Hyeroba, was embedded within Guyana’s NMP at the Ministry of Health’s national headquarters from April 2024 to February 2025, supporting the team to drive operational and strategic improvements that delivered tangible results. During this time, the NMP team developed its first annual malaria report (currently under review at the Ministry) which is crucial for analysing trends, identifying areas at risk, and making data-driven decisions to guide malaria control and elimination efforts.
Malaria is endemic in Guyana, with the highest prevalence in 4 of 10 regions, where high concentrations of mining and logging activities bring humans into contact with malaria-transmitting mosquitos. Small-scale, artisanal and traditional mining is legal and common throughout Guyana, primarily occurring in the country’s hinterland.
Pictured: Guyana’s NMP team and Kiribakka Tendo, Rhys Johnstone, and Andeh Hyeroba from Amp Health.
The team improved its data systems, created a structured work plan (which did not exist before), and consolidated four platforms into a single solution, District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2), making it easier to prepare funding requests and mobilise resources. DHIS2 is an open-source, web-based platform used globally, but particularly in low- and middle-income countries, to manage and analyse health data at national and subnational levels. The team’s use of this platform has improved the accuracy of reporting and strengthened evidence-based decision-making.
Providing embedded support for sustainable change
Bringing extensive experience from his tenure as an MP in Liberia’s Ministry of Health, Andeh provided hands-on leadership coaching and strategic guidance. In addition, Amp Health’s Learning team used insights from its partnerships with malaria teams in the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, and Namibia to craft a tailored learning journey for Guyana’s NMP.
A key focus of Andeh’s work was strengthening internal processes, tools, and practices to encourage a proactive rather than reactive approach. He guided the team in developing templates to enhance weekly reporting, activity planning, and the creation of the annual workplan. Previously, the lack of an annual work plan had made it difficult for the team to draft funding requests, limiting their ability to mobilise resources. With a structured workplan now in place, the team is better positioned to secure funding and implement its strategic goals more effectively.
To address prolonged funding delays that were hampering their LLIN distribution campaign, Andeh supported the team in building an evidence-based case to advocate for the release of funds. This effort led to the escalation of the issue, resulting in the approval of necessary funding and the timely distribution of LLINs.
To ensure all team members understood the significance and functionality of the new DHIS2 data system, hands-on training sessions were conducted, culminating in a clear implementation plan. Improvements in the NMP team’s communication and coordination have been particularly transformative. Before Amp Health’s involvement, the team lacked regular internal meetings. Now, they hold weekly meetings both internally and with regional counterparts, fostering increased collaboration and coordination at all levels.
In less than a year, Amp Health’s support helped drive profound transformation to the team’s way of working – proving that even short, targeted interventions can create lasting change. As Guyana’s NMP team enter the Transition Phase of our partnership, in which we provide ongoing remote support, we wish them every success in their continued efforts to eliminate malaria.