The Role of Mentorship Programs in Malaria Case Management: Strengthening and Improving Health Systems (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Malaria remains a major public health challenge in endemic regions, undermining health system performance and contributing to preventable morbidity and mortality. Traditional training approaches often fail to sustain provider competence in real-world clinical settings. OBJECTIVE To examine the role of mentorship programs in improving malaria case management and strengthening health systems, with specific relevance to Sudan and Gezira State. METHODS his paper reviews global evidence and case studies from Ghana, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Uganda, highlighting the impact of mentorship on adherence to guidelines, referral systems, documentation, and supply chain management. Comparative analysis of mentorship versus supervision is presented to illustrate differences in approach and outcomes. RESULTS Mentorship programs demonstrated significant improvements in malaria case management: adherence to guidelines increased by up to 35 percentage points, referral timeliness improved by 42%, documentation completeness rose by 25–35%, and ACT stock management strengthened from 28% to 76%. These outcomes highlight mentorship’s dual impact on clinical accuracy and health system functions. CONCLUSIONS Mentorship is more than a training intervention—it is a health system strengthening strategy. By embedding continuous workplace learning, mentorship enhances provider competence, reinforces referral and supply chain systems, and improves data quality. In Sudan, scaling up mentorship programs offers a promising pathway toward resilient, high-performing health systems. CLINICALTRIAL Not applicable (this study is a program evaluation and literature-based analysis, not a registered clinical trial)