Scientist D,
ICMR-NIRTH, Jabalpur
Title of the project (VB): Studies on bionomics of two malaria vectors, Anopheles culicifacies and An. fluviatilis with special reference to their behaviour in response to intervention measures (IRS/ LLINs) in Chhattisgarh state, India
Summary:
Malaria is a global public health problem including in India. It is a parasitic infectious disease transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. The goals of WHO’s Global Technical Strategy for malaria 2016-2030 (GTS) are to reduce malaria and mortality rate globally by at least 90% compared with 2015 levels (1), and to eliminate malaria from at least 35 countries including India. The Prime Minister of India, among 18 leaders, endorsed the Asia Pacific Leaders’ Malaria Alliance (APLMA), in November, 2015 and agreed to the goal of region free of malaria by 2030. Consequently, Government of India launched National Framework for Malaria Elimination in India in 2016 and National Strategic Plan (NSP) to facilitate the implementation in 2017. MERA-India has proposed to conduct studies on low density infection and transmission potential, vector bionomics and community behavior in different states of the country.
In the national malaria control programme, vector control is one of the important components. Indoor residual spraying (IRS) and LLINs are the two strategies targeted for the control of adult vector species. The efficacy of IRS and LLINs rests on the endophilic and endophagic behaviour of vector species. The proposed study will be carried out in tribal and rural areas of Chhattisgarh state. This proposal is designed and planned to generate data on the possible behavioral changes due to intensive use of IRS and LLINs for long periods. The studies identify the proportions of vector species resting indoors outdoors and identify their changed behavior in resting, biting and source of feeding and this information would help in finding the impact on the transmission of malaria, and for suggesting appropriate situation specific vector control strategies. Therefore, to accelerate progress towards elimination, it is necessary to add new plan that target changed mosquito behavior and life stages, so that malaria-endemic areas of India can use effective vector control strategies including the new vector control tools that are available.
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