Stopping Malaria at its Source through Drainage & Larval Control

In recent decades Malaria control has focused on indoor spraying with insecticides, insecticide treated nets, antenatal intermittent preventive treatment, increased supplies of appropriate medications and development of a new generation of drugs–artemisinin-based combination therapies.

Drainage and larval control are affordable, effective approaches for the prevention of malaria. Both were neglected after the advent of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and global malaria control policy shifting toward domestic adulticide methods.

Drainage, the oldest method of vector control, still remains the most cost effective, particularly in areas with high population and low water resources. Studies show that simple measures such as irrigation control can decrease malaria spread.

In addition to drainage, controlling larvae has resulted in the historically most effective campaign against African vectors-the eradication of accidentally introduced Anopheles gambiae from 54,000 km2 of largely ideal habitat in northeast Brazil in the 1930s and early 1940s. This outstanding success was achieved through an integrated program, relying primarily upon larval control.

The Brazilian model was successfully repeated in Egypt. In sub-Saharan Africa a larval control program successfully suppressed malaria for over 20 years around a Zambian copper mine.

Drainage and larval control are important examples of integrating economic and environmental development. They are labor intensive, having provided essential jobs to hundreds of people in Brazil, Egypt and Zambia.

Now, more than ever, these time proven methods need to be made a priority in the research, development and implementation of programs to roll back malaria in Africa and the rest of the world.