Creative Strategy by a Malaria Volunteer in Dondai Village: Harnessing World Cup Fever

MALARIA PERDHAKI-SENTANI. The sun had not yet risen when Blandina Daimoi, a malaria volunteer from Dondai Village, Waibu District, Jayapura Regency, woke up. On this particular day, Blandina started her activities much earlier than usual. Instead of heading to the community health center (puskesmas) or an integrated health post (posyandu), she made her way to a public World Cup watch party in a corner of her village.

Upon arriving at the venue, Blandina was greeted by the lively chatter and excitement of football fans, most of whom were men. Without delay, she unpacked her Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits. She had not come to cheer for her favorite football team, but rather to search for malaria cases amid the excitement of the world's biggest football tournament.

Blandina creatively took advantage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Recognizing the strong turnout of villagers gathering before dawn and late at night to watch the matches, she initiated a malaria screening service at the watch-party venue.

Without hesitation, Blandina transformed the gathering spot into a temporary malaria screening station. Using a friendly and persuasive approach, she successfully encouraged many people—who were initially reluctant—to undergo testing. As a result, the number of people screened far exceeded the average daily total on ordinary days.

More importantly, this initiative reached one of the hardest-to-access groups: adult men and young men who are typically occupied with work during the daytime. Through this creative strategy, they were able to receive malaria testing without having to set aside additional time or spend money on transportation to visit a formal healthcare facility.

This initiative demonstrates that creative approaches to leveraging popular community events can provide practical solutions for malaria case detection. As more residents voluntarily participated in screening, hidden malaria infections could be identified much earlier. Early case detection allows treatment to begin as soon as possible, helping to reduce the risk of local malaria transmission in Dondai Village. Blandina's initiative is an inspiring best practice that deserves to be replicated by other malaria volunteers across Papua.