Engineering based Environmental Management Strategies for Malaria Control: A Review

Malaria is a major public health problem. One third (3.3 billion people) of the world population in 97 countries and territories are at risk of malaria. In 2014, 550,000 malaria deaths were recorded.

Interventions by vector control with the use of Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) and Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and use of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) for treatment of confirmed cases of uncomplicated malaria have been major drivers of the reductions in malaria morbidity and mortality reported over the last 15 years. Malaria mortality rates have fallen by 47% globally since 2000; by 54% in the WHO African Region and by 58% in African Children. A total of 4.3 million deaths is estimated to have been averted between year 2000 and 2013. However, the burden of malaria in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) is still unacceptably high. The region has a malaria attributable mortality of 20% in children under five and also accounts for 90% of the global malaria deaths. Nigeria contributes a third of the global malaria deaths and spending on malaria illnesses is estimated to be $1billion per annum in the country.

Other intervention in the area of environmental management is being reviewed in this report as a further support to on-going efforts by WHO and Roll Back Malaria advocacy plan, action and investment to defeat malaria 2016-2030.

Environmental management by modifying the environment to reduce vector accounting for malaria transmission along with on-going efforts on prevention and treatments may bring to achieve the new global development framework for malaria elimination.