BACKGROUND:
Vietnam has made substantial progress in reducing malaria cases and is moving towards elimination. However, the risk of reintroduction remains high, particularly in border and forested areas. Private medical facilities (clinics and pharmacies) often serve as the first point of care, but their practices in malaria prevention and case management are not well documented. This study aimed to assess the current status and challenges of malaria prevention practices in private medical facilities in high-risk provinces.

METHODS:
We conducted a cross-sectional study, combining quantitative and qualitative data in September 2023, in four selected high-risk provinces where the Vietnam Public Health Association is implementing a malaria control project. The quantitative component investigated all 53 clinics and 147 pharmacies using a pre-structured questionnaire and a total sampling method, with descriptive statistics presented in terms of frequencies and proportions. The qualitative component included in-depth interviews with three district-level malaria specialists and 12 commune health station heads.

RESULTS:
Among the surveyed facilities, all clinics and pharmacies had rapid diagnostic tests available and knew how to use them (100%). None had malaria treatment drugs in stock. Between 2021 and 2023, private providers identified 21 malaria cases, which were then referred to commune health stations for treatment. Reported challenges included a lack of clear instructions and mechanisms for reporting, insufficient training on rapid diagnostic test use, limited communication on malaria prevention, and the small number of private health workers actively participating in malaria control activities.

CONCLUSIONS:
To sustain malaria elimination, priority actions include expanding private provider engagement, enhancing diagnostic training, strengthening communication on malaria prevention and control, and establishing clear reporting mechanisms with stronger links between public and private health systems.