Health provider behavior greatly influences malaria treatment and care. It can represent significant obstacles or avenues for improving malaria service provision. However, addressing changes in provider’s behaviors around malaria treatment cannot happen effectively without first understanding the underlying factors driving such behaviors, both within and beyond the health providers’ control.

To deepen understanding of factors influencing providers’ performance in malaria service provision and service quality, Breakthrough ACTION conducted an advanced audience segmentation analysis. Four segments emerged from the data analysis, highlighting key differences in each group based on their attitudes and perception of norms around malaria service provision and service quality:

  • Higher performers
  • Pragmatics
  • Overconfidents
  • Lower performers

The project then developed a Segment Identification Tool to help social and behavior change and service delivery practitioners work with providers to improve the quality of malaria services.

This technical brief includes the Malaria Provider Segment Identification Tool. It also explains the provider segments and how the tool can help practitioners identify opportunities to work with the segments throughout the malaria case management journey and support existing quality improvement approaches.