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In 1998, the Roll Back Malaria Global Partnership
brought to the forefront the importance of malaria control and as one
component toward malaria reduction
Zambia reintroduced indoor
residual spraying (IRS) programmes. IRS
was first piloted after Konkola Copper Mine in
Chingola, Copperbelt Province reported a 50%
reduction in cases in the year
2000 and another 50% reduction
in cases the following year. In
2003, NMCC piloted IRS in five districts: Kabwe, Kitwe,
Livingstone, Lusaka and Ndola. To date, expansion to three more
districts has increased coverage from 20% to 40% and scale up in 2005
hopes to meet coverage goals of 80%. Trainings, chemicals, technical
support and monitoring and evaluation have been provided by NMCC to
each of the districts involved in the national programme. In
addition, financial support from the private sector will be an
integral component of the 2005/2006 scale up and of future IRS
programmes.
The IRS program is using DDT and
pyrethyroid chemicals for spraying. DDT is being used on porous
surfaces while pyrethyroids are being used on plastered non-porous
surfaces. To prevent misuse and environmental degradation, DDT and
pyrethyroids are only being used for household spraying and all
activities are being performed by trained personnel as well as being
closely monitored by the government.
Indoor residual spraying is only an effective intervention when the
following conditions are met:
·
A large number of the structures in an area have adequate sprayable
surfaces
·
A majority of the vector population rests indoors (In Zambia, the
malaria vector P falciparum is indoor resting which is why IRS
is an effective malaria control measure.)
·
The vector is susceptible to the insecticide in use (Zambia plans to
alternate effective insecticides yearly so as to avoid creating
resistant strains of mosquitoes.)
The main
purpose of indoor residual spraying is to lower transmission by
reducing the survival of malaria vectors entering houses or sleeping
units.
For more
information on IRS and the chemicals used check out the
WHO
IRS website.
For more
information on the history of IRS in Zambia check out August 2005
issue of Zambia RBM News (pg 7). For more info on
DDT check out Frequently Asked
Questions on DDT use for Disease Vector Control published by
the World Health Organization in 2004.
For more info on vector control click
here. |
