Malaria still exacts a heavy toll today, especially in the tropics and subtropics where the Anopheles mosquito, the principal malaria vector, lords it over humans. No one can write differently about malaria without including the old and conventional tactics such as insecticide-treated nets and antimalarial drugs. That being said, I will make a notable case for a new and promising way to tackle malaria as we know it: the arts. The arts offer youth a creative outlet where they can connect with the malaria-prevention effort in more imaginative and impactful ways.
The Power of the Arts in Health Education
Drawing on its unique history as a medium for emotional engagement, facilitating behavior change, and fostering community bonds, research shows that the arts are useful tools for increasing health knowledge, delivering health messages and practical guidance, as well as behavior change. In the context of malaria prevention, art-based approaches to knowledge construction can:
- Engage Audiences: Capture the attention of diverse audiences through compelling and relatable content.
- Simplify Complex Concepts: Translate scientific and medical information into easily understandable and relatable formats.
- Encourage Behavioural Change: Touch the emotions by finding a personal connection.
Creative Approaches to Malaria Prevention
Here are some innovative ways to incorporate the arts into malaria prevention campaigns:
1. Visual Arts
a. Murals and Public Art
Murals and public art installations can communicate important malaria prevention messages to entire communities:
- Design Themes: Work with local artists and youth to create murals that illustrate the lifecycle of the malaria parasite, the use of mosquito nets, and the removal of breeding sites.
- By asking community members to participate in the design of the murals, ownership of the murals emerges, as does commitment to preventing malaria in those living in the area.
b. Art Exhibitions and Competitions
Organize art exhibitions and competitions focused on malaria prevention:
- Posters: Students design posters on selected malaria prevention themes. Display the posters in schools, community learning centers, and in the community.
- Student Artworks: Students create artistic works such as paintings, crowns, or masks on selected malaria prevention themes. The artworks are exhibited in schools, community learning centers, and in the community.
- Award Ceremonies: Hold award ceremonies at schools and other art institutions to award/praise some outstanding young artists and encourage others to not stop the flow of their creativity.
c. Educational Posters and Infographics
Design posters and infographics that use vibrant visuals to convey key messages about malaria:
- Illustrating the text: describe how malaria is contracted, prevented, and treated using illustrations and diagrams.
- Distribution: Place these educational materials in schools, clinics, and community centers.
2. Music and Performing Arts
a. Songs and Music Videos
Create songs and music videos that address malaria prevention:
- Original: Tune-composing and singing: Write and sing songs with messages about how to use mosquito nets and avoid stagnant waters.
- Make Music Videos: Many movements’ music videos have gone viral and can be used to raise consciousness around the world. They also make great background videos for speaking engagements or community fundraisers.
b. Drama and Theater
Utilize drama and theater to convey malaria prevention messages through storytelling:
- Plays and skits: Create and enact a play or skit that depicts malaria prevention and treatment scenarios
- Community Performances: host performances in schools, community centers, and theatres around town, and use the arts to share stories on the journey towards reconciliation.
c. Dance and Movement
Incorporate dance and movement into malaria prevention education:
- Choreographic performances: Choreograph dances illustrating the fight against malaria, such as the life cycle of the Plasmodium species that cause illness or the use of mosquito nets as a preventive means.
- Workshops: Conducted in different school and community centers, both the dances and the promotion of malaria-prevention messages.
3. Multimedia and Digital Arts
a. Interactive Digital Platforms
Develop interactive digital content to engage young people in malaria prevention:
- Educational Games: Create mobile and desktop games with themes related to combating malaria, such as virtual simulations of eliminating standing water where mosquitoes might breed.
- AR: Develop immersive and experiential AR content on malaria-prevention methods and their outcomes.
b. Short Films and Documentaries
Produce short films and documentaries that highlight malaria prevention efforts:
- Storytelling: Individual and community-level feature stories on how they tackled the disease, what worked, what didn’t, and so on.
- Screenings: Host screenings in schools and community centers to educate and inspire viewers.
Successful Examples of Arts-Based Malaria Prevention
The arts have also been used to promote malaria prevention in various projects: Here are three examples of those efforts.
- Malaria No More: Developed an awareness campaign about malaria using murals, music videos, and other media in affected regions.
- Drive-through clinics: A trauma clinic in Nepal improved access by setting up outdoor clinics where patients were examined in cars. Blood was collected through a break in a rear windshield; an IV infusion line was threaded through the open window. The study found that individuals who faced travel challenges or feared crowded spaces were much more likely to access these services. Drive-through clinics have also sped up flu vaccine administration in the US.
- ‘Malarious’ Music Video: Created by a group of young artists, this novel and engaging musical video combined catchy songs with malaria control messages, and was shared via social networks and school programs.
Implementing Arts-Based Malaria Prevention Programs
To effectively implement arts-based malaria prevention programs, consider the following steps:
1. Collaboration and Partnerships
Partner with local artists, schools, community organizations, and health agencies:
- Artist collaborations: Foster partnerships with local artists and young people in creating content relevant to malaria prevention messages.
- Community partnerships: Work with community organizations to promote cultural sensitivity and distribution of materials.
2. Engage and Empower Youth
Involve young people in all stages of the campaign:
- Workshops and Training: Equip young people with artistic skills and train them on the prevention and education around the killer disease.
- Leadership Opportunities: Empower youth to take leadership roles in organizing and implementing arts-based campaigns.
3. Evaluate and Adapt
Regularly assess the effectiveness of arts-based initiatives:
- Feedback: Receive feedback from participants and audiences to learn how people react to the campaigns and to adjust accordingly.
- Continuous Improvement: Use evaluation results to refine and enhance future arts-based malaria prevention efforts.
Integrating the arts into malaria prevention draws upon the creative talents of young people to teach and inspire action, making prevention messages more relevant, memorable, and ultimately more effective. Visual arts can be utilized to generate malaria prevention content while music, drama, and dance impart valuable lessons. Digital media can be a catalyst for advocacy and mass communication efforts. Engaging youthful creativity through arts programs empowers young people to solve their problems in an appealing, youthful way.
