Indoor Vector Control Strategies for Malaria Management

Indoor vector control remains a cornerstone of malaria management, focusing on reducing human–mosquito contact and vector survival within domiciliary settings. Primary interventions include long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS), both of which rely on insecticidal treatment of surfaces or bed nets to kill or repel Anopheles mosquitoes. Complementary strategies involve housing improvements such as screening and structural modifications to reduce entry points, and the development of novel insecticide formulations to overcome resistance. Recent advances have introduced non-pyrethroid chemistries and combination products aimed at prolonging residual efficacy and managing insecticide resistance. Integrating these approaches in high-burden regions has demonstrated reductions in malaria incidence and transmission metrics, while operational research highlights the need for tailored deployment, community acceptability and cost-effectiveness analyses. Emerging challenges include escalating resistance to key insecticide classes, variable intervention coverage, and the necessity for robust entomological and epidemiological surveillance to guide adaptive vector control policy.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have evaluated next-generation IRS formulations incorporating novel modes of action. A community randomised trial compared a broflanilide-based wettable powder to a dual-active mixture of clothianidin and deltamethrin, demonstrating non-inferior reductions in indoor and outdoor vector densities over 18 months, sustained 100% mortality in wall bioassays and high user acceptability among households. Another systematic assessment of experimental hut trial data characterised entomological efficacy of emerging IRS insecticide classes against pyrethroid-resistant populations. Modelling work linked residue decay profiles to predicted public health outcomes, showing that long-lasting IRS products can substantially reduce transmission—dependent on bed-net coverage, seasonality and resistance status—and providing a decision-support framework for selecting optimal IRS chemistries under varied epidemiological scenarios.

Indoor Vector Control Strategies for Malaria Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in indoor vector control strategies for malaria management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN): A bed net treated with insecticide that remains effective for multiple years and wash cycles to kill or repel mosquitoes.

Indoor residual spraying (IRS): Application of insecticide to interior walls and ceilings to kill mosquitoes upon contact and interrupt malaria transmission.

Pyrethroid resistance: The genetic or physiological adaptation of mosquito populations reducing sensitivity to pyrethroid insecticides, compromising LLIN and IRS efficacy.

Residual efficacy: The duration over which an insecticide retains lethal or repellent action on treated surfaces.

Entomological inoculation rate (EIR): The number of infectious mosquito bites per person per unit time, a key metric of malaria transmission intensity.

References

1. Community evaluation of VECTRON™ T500, a broflanilide insecticide, for indoor residual spraying for malaria vector control in central Benin; a two arm non-inferiority cluster randomised trial. Scientific Reports (2023).
2. Indoor residual spraying with a mixture of clothianidin (a neonicotinoid insecticide) and deltamethrin provides improved control and long residual activity against pyrethroid resistant Anopheles gambiae sl in Southern Benin. PLOS ONE (2017).
3. Trends of insecticide resistance monitoring in mainland Tanzania, 2004–2020. Malaria Journal (2023).
4. Indoor residual spraying for malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa 1997 to 2017: an adjusted retrospective analysis. Malaria Journal (2020).