Freeport Indonesia and Amungme-Kamoro Community Development Institute: Malaria Control Integrated Program in Papua, Indonesia

This case study discusses a multilayered partnership to eradicate malaria in Papua, Indonesia.  The first level of partnership involves PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) and Lembaga Pengembangan Masyarakat Amungme Kamoro or LPMAK (Amungme-Kamoro Community Development Institute).  PTFI created LPMAK, an NGO, in 2002 to manage its Partnership Fund for Community Development in and around the area of operation of PTFI.  

The second level is between LPMAK and two health NGOs with LPMAK functioning both as a donor and source of technical assistance to the health NGOs.  Yayasan Pembangunan Citra Insan Indonesia (YPCII) and Yayasan Caritas Timika (YCT) are the health organizations that work with LPMAK to eliminate malaria in Mimika district using a community empowerment approach.  Timika is the capital of Mimika District in Papua. 

The three-year partnership between PTFI/LPMAK and YPCII began in 2008. The partnership with YCT began in 1999. Activities include community education on malaria prevention, training of village volunteers to ensure sustainability of the education program, indoor residual spraying, bed net distribution, blood test surveys to monitor the spread of malaria, larva control, and treatment for malaria cases. 

The program has reached nearly 10,000 people and the number of malaria cases has declined since 2008.  The number of communities participating in activities has increased and school surveys indicate that the percentage of students testing positive for malaria declined by 20% between 2009 and 2010 from 12% to 9.55%.  The program faces considerable challenges.  The most significant is ensuring the sustainability of activities.  Partners work with the relatively new local government (created in 1999) to enable it to take over responsibility for health issues.  They continue to strengthen local health services managed by the government, including a referral system that connects clinics, hospitals, and other health resources in the area.  Partners also continue to work with communities to strengthen education programs that reinforce behavior within communities to prevent the spread of malaria.