Assessing the Causes for Anglogold Ashanti Malaria Control Project and its Impact on the Livelihood of Women and Children in the Nadowli Kaleo District, Upper West Region

Abstract

Malaria remains a major public health and development challenge in northern Ghana, disproportionately affecting women and children and undermining household livelihoods. In response, the AngloGold Ashanti Malaria Control Project (AGAMal) has implemented Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and complementary vector-control and community-engagement interventions in selected districts, including Nadowli-Kaleo in the Upper West Region. This expanded research proposal outlines a comprehensive mixed-methods study designed to (i) assess the contextual and programmatic causes that necessitated AGAMal’s implementation in the district and (ii) evaluate the project’s health, economic, and social impacts on the livelihoods of women and children. The literature demonstrates that malaria significantly affects health, livelihoods, and human development, particularly among women and children. While numerous studies highlight the effectiveness of malaria control interventions, fewer explicitly link these interventions to household livelihood outcomes, especially within the context of private-sector-led initiatives. This study addresses this gap by providing a localised, gender- and child-sensitive assessment of the AngloGold Ashanti Malaria Control Project in the Nadowli Kaleo District, integrating public health and sustainable livelihoods perspectives. The study integrates epidemiological trends, household livelihood analysis, gender perspectives, and policy review. Qualitative interviews, focus group discussions, and secondary data analysis will complement quantitative household surveys. Findings are expected to inform malaria control policy, strengthen public–private partnerships, and enhance livelihood-sensitive health programming in malaria-endemic settings.