Malaria

Entomological surveillance, and intervention monitoring and evaluation

Last update: 2 October 2015

Entomological surveillance

Effective malaria vector control is reliant on knowledge of local vector species and their susceptibility to insecticides, as well as on vector and human behaviours that may allow mosquitoes to avoid contact with interventions and thereby maintain residual transmission. Periodic collection of such data is essential to inform vector control strategies and track their impact on malaria transmission.

Intervention monitoring and evaluation

There is also a critical need for ongoing monitoring of the coverage, usage, quality and durability of vector-control interventions following their deployment. For instance, the durability of long-lasting insecticidal nets should be tracked throughout field usage since their physical and chemical performance can vary greatly between settings.

Ongoing work on the laboratory performance of different LLINs will generate a proxy for field performance and therefore serve as an important specification for guiding procurement and replacement decisions. This way, innovation for more durable nets will be rewarded appropriately.

Evaluation of the impact of interventions on malaria outcomes should also be undertaken.

Enhanced capacity for public health entomology

Appropriate technical capacity is needed to facilitate the systematic collection of such information, including trained and experienced staff, reference insectaries, molecular laboratories and associated equipment. Technical expertise and national decision-making mechanisms are required to ensure effective and timely use of such data to inform malaria strategies and their implementation. WHO urges malaria-endemic countries to invest in public health entomology capacity, to support the control and elimination of malaria.

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