Insecticide-treated bednet efficacy and vector behavior
Vector control measures are the cornerstone of malaria prevention. The global health community has emphasized high coverage with effective, long-lasting insecticide treated nets (ITNs or LLINs) over the last ten years. As a result, coverage has increased and malaria morbidity and mortality have declined. However, in some areas, high coverage with ITNs has not produced the expected results. Our team works on understanding why malaria has persisted in our study area despite high coverage with ITNs. We are especially interested in vector behavior, resistance to insecticides, and human behavior that may reduce the effectiveness of ITNs.
Collaborators: Andrew Obala (Moi University), Judith Mangeni (Moi University)
Publications:
- A. A. Obala, J. Mangeni, A. Platt, D. Aswa, L. Abel, J. Namae, W. Prudhomme O’Meara “What Is Threatening the Effectiveness of Insecticide-Treated Bednets? A Case-Control Study of Environmental, Behavioral, and Physical Factors Associated with Prevention Failure”, PLoS One 2015 10(7):e0132778
- J. N. Mangeni, D. Menya, A.A. Obala, A. Platt, W. P. O’Meara, “Development and piloting of an evidence-based rapid assessment tool for malaria prevention”, Malaria Journal 15:544 (2016)
- Heng S, O’Meara WP, Simmons RA, Small DS. Relationship between changing malaria burden and low birth weight in sub-Saharan Africa: A difference-in-differences study via a pair-of-pairs approach. Elife. 2021 Jul 14;10:e65133. doi: 10.7554/eLife.65133. PMID: 34259625; PMCID: PMC8279759.
