The aim is for teachers to pass on knowledge about how to fight malaria to their students, who should then raise the issue with their parents and neighbours. The positive effects could spread far beyond the scope of schools.

“After receiving training from the bureau and its partners, I can explain to my students about malaria, its cause, its symptoms, its treatment and the ways to protect yourself against it,” Jinda Thanasak, a teacher at Kalahomratchasena School in Tak’s Mae Ramat district, said last week.

She was full of hope that her students would share the knowledge with their circle of friends, parents and relatives. To ensure that useful information is disseminated widely, she has even paid home visits to her students.

“That way, I can communicate directly with their parents and check if they have started using precautions such as mosquito nets,” she said.

Pongsathorn Thantay, a teacher at a school in Ubon Ratchathani, said schools could contribute significantly to behaviour-changing communication strategies regarding malaria.

“We have raised awareness among communities,” he said.

The Kenan Foundation Asia supports the campaign, designing techniques and even scripts to help teachers deliver key messages effectively.

Pol Corporal Montra Wisesying-paisarn, who is based at a Border Patrol Police school in Chiang Rai, said that even though she had never been trained as a teacher before, the support had allowed her to raise awareness about malaria.

“The script is very practical. There’s a way to engage students. There are group activities, for example,” she said.

Sometimes students are assigned homework to make at least two other children aware of malaria.

“When we present teaching and study materials from the campaign, it’s easy to attract young children’s attention,” Montra said.

Last year, the campaign covered 152 schools in nine provinces – Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Tak, Chanthaburi, Trat, Chiang Rai, Ubon Ratchathani, Si Sa Ket and Surin.