topnaman | Malaria blog

6,000 Aedes mosquitoes (the species that transmits dengue) were released in an uninhabited site in the center of the country. The purpose of the field trial is to study the dispersal and life span of these modified mosquitoes under natural conditions. The idea is simple:  replace natural mosquitoes with insects engineered to be either resistant [...]

Below is a comment, on the PMI clarification, from one of the authors of the WHO Bulletin article. In regard to the Director’s response to criticisms about the PMI program in Angola, I would like to make a few comments, having written the article in English, with the approval of my two colleagues, especially Martinho [...]

The title of this post is a bit sensational for my tastes but honest in regards to the charges levied by Somandjinga et al in the Bulletin of the WHO. The history of malaria control is replete with stories of gaffes small and large. However, the “policy and practice” article contains frank and detailed criticism, [...]

The mosquito vector, and by extension local ecology, drives malaria transmission. So understanding vector biology is important to malaria control. Classical studies of mosquito flight range, feeding preferences, and resting habits were crucial in the development and application of control strategies. Modern vector biology research, dominated by molecular studies, has produced new tools for monitoring [...]

Everyone likes to talk about DDT and malaria, and a friend of mine asked me to post about the topic. No way! I am not walking into that mess. Suffice to say, I am frustrated with both sides of the debate. My personal views probably lie closest to those eloquently expressed here.

“Pool-filling could control malaria” an article at AllAfrica.com says. True, but so could swatting enough mosquitoes with your hands. The existence of an intervention does not mean its viable. Media communication of science research or public health news (previously discussed here) is consistently poor. To be fair, the environmental control of malaria can be an [...]

An estimated 250 million nets at $10 a piece are needed to achieve the current UN goal of 80% coverage in high risk groups – pregnant women and children under five. UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon has raised the bar calling for universal coverage with nets by 2010 as part of his plan to [...]

As large scale distributions of insecticide treated bed-nets continue, the selection pressure for insecticide resistance increases. Insecticide resistance, particularly to DDT, helped destroy the malaria control efforts of many countries in the 1960s-70s. Monitoring insecticide resistance is part and parcel of any indoor residual spraying (IRS) program, and is arguably even more important for bed-nets. [...]