For decades, SBC has been used in malaria programs to positively influence behaviors around case management, malaria in pregnancy, insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying. However, the evidence base for the impact of SBC on malaria-related behavioral outcomes is still growing, especially as malaria interventions and commodities scale-up.
The SBC for Malaria Evidence Database documents the evidence to date. The initial set of articles included were selected as a result of a critical review of the literature using a multiphase search and review process, involving abstract and full-article reviews of approximately 3,600 peer-reviewed articles and 1,700 grey literature documents. Each article was then scored on two indicators: the strength of the evidence presented in the article and the extent to which the SBC activity used best practices during the design and implementation of the program. A report summarizing the findings of the literature review is available in both English and French. Since then, the evidence database is updated annually with a search for new literature that meet the search criteria and inclusion of those articles that show evidence of impact on malaria attitudes and behaviors.
The database presents a collection of over 100 articles describing interventions or studies that address malaria challenges through SBC approaches. Some studies address the same intervention across multiple articles, while other studies evaluate multiple interventions in the same article. Initially based on evidence on the influence of social and behavior change communication (SBCC) on malaria-related behaviors, the database has expanded to include broader SBC approaches.
