Environmental management for vector control

Environmental management for vector control refers to the planning, organisation, carrying out and monitoring of activities for the modification and/or manipulation of environmental factors, with the aim of preventing or minimising vector breeding and reducing human-vector-parasite contacts. If such measures result in long-lasting or permanent changes in land, water or vegetation, they are often referred to as environmental modification. When such measures have a temporary effect and need to be repeated, they are known as environmental manipulation.

In this study session, we will focus mainly on simple and effective environmental manipulation tools, which can be planned and implemented at the village level by mobilising the community and under your direct supervision. Some environmental modification methods could involve very complicated engineering designs of natural and man-made water systems to make them unfavourable for vector breeding, but these ambitious activities are beyond the objectives of the Health Extension Service.

The first step in planning environmental management activities is to identify the water collections where the potential vectors of malaria are breeding. You might plan to remove or destroy all potential breeding sites, whether they are sheltering mosquito larvae or not. However, this could be unrealistic if there are too many sites and your human and material resources are limited. Then you have to be selective and prioritise water collections according to the following criteria:

• First, water collections with anopheline mosquitoes only, and/or anopheline and other mosquito larvae should be removed.
• Second, all temporary rain water collections should be destroyed.
• Third, all water collections with other mosquito larvae have to be addressed.
• Fourth, any standing water that is not used by people or their animals should be removed.