On the Frontlines of Malawi's Malaria Fight

Following frontline spray operators through a working day, this series shows how malaria prevention moves from programme planning into people’s homes.

In December 2022, I joined spray operators implementing an indoor residual spraying programme in Malawi. The Global Fund supported the programme, while World Vision Malawi worked with government and community structures to deliver it in areas facing high malaria transmission.
Indoor residual spraying places a long-lasting insecticide on interior walls and other household surfaces where mosquitoes rest. The method may sound straightforward. Delivering it across a community requires trained workers, protective equipment, calibrated sprayers, transport, supervision, field records and the cooperation of every participating household.

The frontline

I followed the team from operational briefings and equipment preparation to deployment and treatment inside individual homes. The photographs trace the movement of the intervention: workers reviewing plans, preparing sprayers, travelling together, entering communities and applying insecticide with care inside domestic spaces.
The photographs focus on spray operators moving through briefing, equipment preparation, transport, household entry and treatment, while retaining the people inside the wider public-health system.
Protective clothing keeps operators safe, but it can also make them appear anonymous. I moved between collective action and individual concentration so the photographs retained the people inside the system. Their work demanded physical endurance, technical precision and direct engagement with residents, household after household.

Public health storytelling requires balancing documentation with respect for individual privacy and community trust.

The work prioritised informed engagement, accurate representation, and context-driven storytelling. Images and narratives were approached with the understanding that communities are participants in the story, not subjects of observation.

The assignment combined field observation, documentary photography, and contextual reporting.

Rather than focusing solely on operational activities, attention was given to the relationships, preparation, and coordination that made the intervention possible. Time was spent observing interactions between health teams and community members, documenting both the technical and human dimensions of the campaign.

The goal was to create a more complete understanding of how malaria prevention efforts are experienced on the ground.