Communication Strategy and Community Mobilization Training Marks a Concrete Step by Key Leaders in Manokwari to Combat Malaria

In an effort to reduce malaria cases across the Land of Papua, Malaria Perdhaki, through SR Yatima, SSR Perdu, and SSR PTPS, organized an intensive training program entitled "Communication Strategy and Community Mobilization for Key Leaders." The training, held from 30 June to 2 July 2026 at Swiss-Belinn Hotel Manokwari, brought together key leaders from Manokwari Regency and South Manokwari Regency.

Through this initiative, Malaria Perdhaki is committed to building collective awareness at the grassroots level. The ultimate goal is to empower local communities to prevent and control malaria independently and sustainably.

In his opening remarks, Frans Abidondifu, Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Division of the West Papua Provincial Health Office, emphasized the importance of integrating malaria prevention into formal village regulations. He encouraged all village heads and local officials in attendance to take proactive leadership without waiting for directives or programs from the central government.

Frans stressed the need to establish a strong legal framework through Village Regulations (Peraturan Kampung or Peraturan Desa). He expressed his hope that participants would return home not only with enhanced communication skills but also with concrete action plans to draft these regulations and allocate dedicated village funds for malaria elimination efforts.

The training was attended by 30 key leaders, the majority of whom were village heads accompanied by village secretaries or representatives of the Village Consultative Body (Badan Permusyawaratan Kampung), along with local religious leaders. Together, they represented 14 villages across the two regencies.

From South Manokwari Regency, participants represented six villages located in five districts: Isim, Neney, Ransiki, Oransbari, and Tahota. Meanwhile, participants from Manokwari Regency represented eight villages across three districts: Sidey, Nuni, and Maripi.

Over the course of the three-day training, participants received comprehensive capacity-building sessions designed to strengthen their roles as community mobilizers. In addition to learning persuasive interpersonal communication techniques, they explored managerial topics such as the process of drafting village regulations and the procedures for securing village budget allocations.

The training also covered partnership-building for policy advocacy and the development of operational work plans. Equipped with these skills and practical knowledge, the participants are expected to return to their respective villages ready to implement concrete actions toward achieving malaria-free communities.