Vector Control and Malaria Elimination

Vector control against malaria consist mainly of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) or Indoor Residual House Spraying (IRS). Both of them are effective as long as they are used properly. The current practice is to apply vector control one to two months before the peak season. The purpose of application before the peak season is to taper the incidence of malaria and prevent the seasonal peaks. This very effective in averting the occurrence of the peak but this will only lead to control or reduction of cases and not elimination. This only reduces cases but not necessarily the transmission.
Malaria elimination requires vector control as soon as transmission in a community is identified. It must be done any time of the year in order to prevent the transfer of the parasite to other people which will become another source of parasite to perpetuate the cycle. The most important point is to identify the area or community where there is active or ongoing transmission at the moment. All the control measures then must be applied at the same time in order to eliminate the sources of parasite in all of its location in the community. To reiterate, they are in the mosquito vector, in humans with symptoms of malaria, in asymptomatic malaria carriers, in human with malaria at the pre-patent and incubation period and lastly in the human with hypnozoites in their liver. Failure to address anyone of each location will perpetuate the species and keep the malaria cycle go on and on and on.