Combining house-screening and odour-baited mosquito traps for sustainable control of malaria transmission in low-income communities dominated by Anopheles funestus

Tanzania has cut its malaria burden by more than 50% since 2008, primarily using insecticide-treated nets and effective medicines, but numerous challenges remain. Mosquitoes that transmit malaria are increasingly resistant to insecticides and many low-income households still live in poorly-constructed houses with gaps in the eaves, doors and windows. To achieve the 2020 national target of 2% prevalence and to progress towards elimination, Tanzania urgently needs extra methods to prevent malaria transmission. One option is house-screening, which significantly reduces the incidence of mosquito bites indoors. Another is solar-powered mosquito traps, which have reduced malaria prevalence by more than 30% in western Kenya.

I will combine house-screening and mosquito trapping to increase protection in Tanzanian villages where a notorious, highly-resistant vector called Anopheles funestus currently perpetuates high transmission rates. I will optimise interventions inside large screen houses and conduct small-scale trials in malaria-endemic villages to demonstrate efficacy. 

This approach provides an eco-friendly insecticide-free option that will accelerate malaria control in low-income communities.