Table 2.

Community engagement activities according to target groups

Target groups	Activities
	Battambang	Preah Vihear
National/regional authorities	Involvement of national malaria control programme and provincial health authorities in implementation and supervision. Collaboration with district and commune authorities including individual leaders already known to study communities	Support letters were obtained from National Malaria programme. Provincial Health Department and District Governor were informed. Verbal support of commune chiefs and village chiefs was received during village leaders meetings
Volunteers/guides	Teams consisting of village leaders, malaria workers, and volunteers implemented MDA in each village. Volunteers supervised a block of ~ 10–30 neighbouring houses. Volunteers assisted with contacting households, providing information and invitations, helping with MDA, post-MDA follow-up and identifying newcomers	Local volunteers were recruited and trained from communities to inform villagers and to guide the social workers house-to-house. MSF trained social workers, mostly local students, in each village with assistance of village leaders/local guides
Village malaria workers	Provide diagnosis and treatment to clinical malaria cases (RDT on febrile participants) during MDA and surveys, supervise volunteers during follow-up, collaborate with medical team, alert study team and leaders to rumours/perceived adverse reactions of MDA and help sensitize participants	Provide diagnosis and treatment to clinical malaria cases, supported and guided by the passive case detection (PCD) team
Locally influential people	Small group and individual meetings with local political leaders, police, teachers, shop-keepers, private sector health care providers, traditional healers and military staff stationed in the area Monks were asked to bless activities and talk to their communities about working together and the importance of health	Public health department (PHD) director, District Governor, Commune Chiefs and village chiefs in the District were visited by the project coordinator and liaison officer. Health promotion officers met with village chiefs gained verbal consent. Identification of block leaders, to organize meetings with small groups of villagers
Whole community	Public engagement event with music, quiz, prizes, invited speakers, household gift packs and snacks (main mobilisation event prior to MDA 2015); Video performance, drama workshops, singing competition, public drama performance (main mobilisation event prior to MDA 2016)	Malaria movie and presentation MSF activities in all (sub) villages (Nov 2014); door-to-door visits by guides; block meetings; mass village meetings; leaflet distribution with key information about MDA
Forest goers	Small meetings, visits to forest, build trust, health education about forest-acquired malaria, contact in advance to avoid missing people	No specific actions taken
Women/mothers	Health education given in small groups, listen to specific fears about women or children taking medicine. Explain drug safety and adverse reactions and reasons for exclusion of pregnant and lactating mothers	No specific actions taken
School activities	Outdoor games, colouring-in competitions, and prizes to generate good feeling, raise awareness, and avoid children being scared of MDA	No specific actions taken
Non-participants	Followed up by study staff to determine if they could be persuaded to join, and if they were present or away from the village	Follow-up among individuals who had been absent, and individuals who stated they would not be present for the full DOT

MDA mass drug administration, DOT directly observed therapy