INTRODUCTION:
Malaria elimination is a public health challenge, particularly among mobile and hard-to-reach populations who face barriers to healthcare. Malakit is an innovative intervention providing early malaria diagnosis and treatment to these populations through self-use kits (“malakits”). Implemented as a research project in French Guiana’ borders with Suriname and Brazil, Malakit has demonstrated feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness, highlighting its potential for scale-up or transfer (ST) to other contexts. Several countries worldwide have initiated ST, marking the step of Malakit dissemination. However, multiple initiatives call for structured support from the originating research team (ORT). The aim was to clarify how ORTs support them.

METHODS:
Data on Malakit ST initiatives (2020–2025) were collected through document review, semi-structured interviews, open-ended survey, and informal conversations. Participants included researchers, user-organizations, health authorities, and global-level stakeholders. Qualitative analyses were performed.

RESULTS:
Eight roles assumed by the ORT were identified: evidence generation, advocacy, fundraising support, consultancy, knowledge and skill (K&S) transfer, technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), network building. Evidence generation contributed to the elicitation of interest in ST. Advocacy was a driver to engage health authorities and promote adoption. Consultancies, while avoiding operational control, enabled initiatives to be driven by local institutions. User-organizations valued ORT’s role in K&S transfer through training, supervision, progressive support toward autonomy, and the provision of technical assistance (e.g. information systems or digital tools). M&E assessed Malakit under real conditions, but external evaluators could ensure a more independent analysis. ORT connected cross-country user-organizations enhancing knowledge-sharing, mutual learning, and long-term sustainability. This highlights the potential value of a cross-territorial Malakit-taskforce.

CONCLUSIONS:
ORTs are pivotal in supporting ST; their actions are highly valued by user-organizations. As initiatives expand, a Malakit-taskforce could provide a more structured and sustainable platform for shared learning, standardized evaluation, collective advocacy, and strengthen efforts to implement Malakit-like interventions across countries.