A Guide to Improving MDA Using Qualitative Methods

Achieving high treatment coverage in mass drug administration (MDA) and ensuring that people are not being systematically missed, excluded, or refusing treatment is critical if neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are to reach and sustain elimination and control. This guide is in response to national NTD program managers' request for user-friendly resources to guide them in the use of rapid qualitative assessments that can complement other quantitative tools that they use to improve MDA.

This guide addresses one critical gap of the availability of resources to support the use of qualitative methods to strengthen MDA through a six step process. It aims to facilitate adaptive program learning for MDA by providing guidance on qualitative study design, implementation, analysis, and prioritization of recommendations, while also triangulating findings with existing knowledge. The main document takes the reader through the six steps and contains links to the relevant annexes for each step of the process.