VECTOR CONTROL

Malaria vector control is primarily insecticide based. It relies on indoor residual spraying (IRS) of houses and the distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets (LLINs). Only twelve insecticides from four different chemical classes (organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethroids, and carbamates) are currently recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for IRS. [1] The oldest classes of these insecticides are the organochlorines, of which dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is the only approved insecticide, and the organophosphates, which are derived from phosphoric acid. Both have been used since the 1940s. All 12 insecticides collectively target two insect neurological sites. Currently, only pyrethroids are approved by the WHO for LLIN treatment. These interventions have generally proved effective wher