World Malaria Day is an opportunity to highlight the essential work of National Malaria Control Programs (NMCPs). Bluesquare’s role and ambition is to provide the technical backbone—the data tools and systems—that allow these programs to reach every household and optimize their resources through evidence-based strategies.
Effective malaria control depends on having a single source of truth. Often, crucial information is siloed across different platforms or remains inaccessible to national malaria programs, which can hinder a coordinated response. Bluesquare supports governments in the development and maintenance of National Malaria Data Repositories (NMDR) to bridge these gaps.
By integrating diverse data sources—such as routine health facility reports from DHIS2, supply chain metrics, key demographic data, entomological surveillance, and climate data—into the NMDR, we help NMPs gain a 360-degree view of the malaria burden. This centralization is about empowering national programs with the visibility they need to monitor trends, coordinate response, and ensure that all stakeholders have access to comprehensive malaria data. Beyond data storage, the NMDR – which is typically deployed as a dedicated DHIS2 instance – primarily serves as an engine for advanced analytics.
Bluesquare is a key implementer of NMDRs and currently supports eight countries in deploying these repositories: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, DRC, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, and Niger. Building on these NMDRs, we have developed public malaria dashboards, surveillance bulletins, micro-stratification maps, predictive analytics, and automated reports. By enabling data triangulation, these repositories allow programs to move from observation to anticipation, for example through the forecasting of seasonal trends and detection of potential outbreaks before they escalate, transforming the NMDR from a passive warehouse into a proactive decision-support system for epidemic preparedness.
For more information on NMDRs and on what it takes to deploy these innovative tools, see the WHO NMDR guidance that Bluesquare actively contributed to.
While centralizing information is a critical first step, the true value of an integrated system lies in how that data is used to identify optimal targeting of malaria control and elimination strategies at a local level: enter sub-national tailoring (SNT). Relying largely on the same data that is contained in NMDRs, SNT allows countries to move beyond a “one-size-fits-all” approach and focus on precise sub-national targeting of interventions. By identifying local risk profiles and distinct epidemiological patterns, national programs can determine exactly which strategies are most appropriate for each area, leading to the identification of the optimal mix of interventions in terms of impact and cost. As such, SNT accounts for geographical diversity, ensuring that strategies for each region and for each setting are specifically adapted to their unique challenges.
To translate the complex analytical SNT framework into practical, repeatable workflows, Bluesquare has co-developed the SNT Digital Toolbox, consolidating previously fragmented methodologies into a unified, scalable platform. Operating as an open-source public good, the Toolbox empowers NMPs to independently execute the full SNT cycle and collaborate seamlessly with technical and financial partners. Powered by OpenHEXA data orchestration pipelines and an intuitive end-to-end SNT Explorer, the platform enables decision-makers to instantly evaluate different strategic plans based on cost, feasibility, and impact without needing advanced coding expertise.
In light of the increased complexity and reduced funding for malaria, this data-driven prioritization is crucial as countries update their national strategic plans and Global Fund grant applications. Participating in the recent Global Fund GC8 funding cycle served as a vital learning process, providing the real-world testing ground where we gained expertise in the DRC, Niger and Cameroon to rigorously build, stress-test and refine the SNT Toolbox. These practical applications have directly shaped the robust, scalable platforms we offer today.
Read up more on Bluesquare’s SNT Toolbox and access an interactive demo through our dedicated website.
Malaria campaigns such as Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) or insecticide-treated net (ITN) distribution, are massive logistical undertakings. Traditionally, paper-based tracking has resulted in sub-optimal coverage levels and delays in reporting. Bluesquare works to mitigate this by supporting efforts for end-to-end campaign digitalization, providing the tools necessary for efficient campaign planning, real-time monitoring, and post-campaign evaluation.
Bluesquare supports three levels of campaign digitalization that can be deployed independently or as a bundle:
As an example, the 2025 SMC campaign in Côte d’Ivoire illustrates how IASO enabled digital planning, real-time data collection and advanced analytical processing – ultimately contributing to a highly successful campaign.
