Strategies of combating malaria

There are two main strategies in combating malaria. The first is by disrupting the transmission of the disease i.e. vector control. In controlling the mosquito vector, the most important method still is the spraying of insecticides in the mosquito breeding grounds as well as houses of people living in high-risk endemic areas.

The discovery of the insecticide DDT in 1942 and its first use in Italy in 1944 raised the hope that the global eradication of malaria is possible. Subsequently, widespread systematic control measures such as spraying with DDT, coating marshes with paraffin (to block Anopheles mosquito larvae spiracles), draining stagnant water, and the widespread use of nets and cheap, effective drugs such as chloroquine were implemented - with impressive results (Brown et al, 1986). The hope of global eradication of malaria was however finally abandoned in 1969 when it was recognised that this was unlikely ever to be achieved due to the increase in resistance of the vector to the insecticides used (Good et al, 1998). Ongoing control programs thus remain essential in endemic areas (WHO, 1997). Although insecticides like pyrethroids have been developed, that are safer, more effective and cheaper than DDT, the eradication of the disease appears to be unlikely (Collins et al, 1995).

The second strategy involves combating the parasite itself. The preferred method of treatment would be vaccination. However, an effective, practical, and affordable vaccine has yet to be developed.