For the first time, WHO has published a comprehensive set of evidence-based Guidelines for malaria vector control, providing a "one-stop shop" for countries and partners working to implement effective malaria vector control measures.
/news/woman-under-mosquito-net-in-india.jpg?Status=Master&sfvrsn=ddb525df_4)
Sleeping under a net treated with an effective insecticide can reduce contact between mosquitoes and humans by providing both a physical barrier and an insecticidal effect.
WHO/A. Loke
The new document pulls together all existing and up-to-date WHO guidance on malaria vector control into a user-friendly format that supports each country to select and implement the most effective interventions for its own unique malaria landscape.
The guidelines cover the 2 core malaria vector control tools – insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) – as well as supplementary interventions, namely the deployment of chemical or biological larvicides, and personal protection measures, such as the use of topical repellents and insecticide-treated clothing.
“I hope that these guidelines make it much easier for National Malaria Control Programmes and implementing partners not only to develop evidence-based vector control policies and strategies, but also to understand how specific tools should be deployed according to specific circumstances,” said Dr Jan Kolaczinski, Coordinator of the Entomology and Vector Control unit of the WHO Global Malaria Programme.
A "one-stop shop"
The new guidelines consolidate more than 20 sets of WHO recommendations and good practice statements in one document, enabling malaria-endemic countries and their development partners to know “what to do” (recommendations) and “how to do it” (good practice). Recommendations are generally based on systematic reviews of evidence generated by randomized controlled trials and other studies, while good practice statements are based on expert opinion and field experience.
Dr Kolaczinski believes the new guidelines will also support malaria control by increasing the level of transparency around the evidence that underpins WHO’s vector control recommendations.
“Through greater transparency, we hope that innovators and research partners will understand why new tools and interventions need to be fully evaluated. We really want all malaria stakeholders to recognize the benefits of conducting solid research which, in turn, generates an evidence base from which WHO can develop recommendations,” he explained.
The intensive process of reviewing the evidence base for the guidelines enabled WHO to identify where gaps exist, which is critical to refining the research agenda for the ongoing development of the guidelines.
A ‘living document’
WHO is calling on all malaria stakeholders who use the Guidelines for malaria vector control to provide continuous feedback, with a view to improving and updating what will remain a “living document”. As Dr Kolaczinski notes: “These guidelines are very much a work in progress. They will continually take into account new tools, new evidence and new guidance.”
The new guidelines, developed by the WHO Global Malaria Programme, were funded through an umbrella grant agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
/news/kisumu-vc-approach.jpg?Status=Master&sfvrsn=e5bf90fa_2)
Indoor residual spraying involves spraying the inside of housing structures with an insecticide with a long residual activity typically once or twice per year.
WHO/ R. Memba Paquete
WHO global guidelines
The development of evidence-based global guidelines is at the heart of WHO’s normative and standard-setting functions. A WHO guideline is any information product developed by WHO containing recommendations for clinical practice or public health policy.
WHO recommendations are designed to help end-users make informed decisions on whether, when and how to undertake specific actions to achieve the best possible individual or collective health outcomes.
WHO guidelines must be produced using approved methods. They are subject to a rigorous quality assurance process to ensure that each published guideline is impactful and meets the highest international standards.