Audio By Carbonatix
A new report says targeting mosquito breeding sites is likely to be increasingly necessary to reduce cases of malaria in Africa and Asia.
Researchers say that with mosquitoes becoming ever more resistant to insecticides, new approaches will be needed to help control the disease.
They include flushing out stagnant water where mosquito larvae grow.
More than 600,000 people died from the malaria in 2010, most of them children in Africa.
The number of deaths from malaria has fallen by a quarter in the last decade, largely thanks to the widespread distribution of mosquito nets treated with insecticides and the use of indoor insecticides sprays, reports the BBC's global health reporter Tulip Mazumdar.
But the insects are becoming increasingly resistant to these chemicals, so a new report by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine says authorities should use a method called "larval source management".
This is where mosquito larvae found in stagnant water like paddy fields or ditches are killed off by draining or flushing the land before they get a chance to develop.
But the report's author, Lucy Tusting, admits there are limitations to the method.
"It requires in some situations a very intensive effort so in some settings it won't be cost effective," she said.
"But in others cases you might have a small village with a pond in the middle of it. By removing that you can reduce the number of mosquitoes with very little effort."
The World Health Organization says the research is still not robust enough to support this method, and it is not recommended for use in rural areas where breeding grounds are hard to find.
The WHO says larval source management should only be used alongside insecticide sprays and nets.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Consumer Protection Agency commends FDA for destroying illegal bales of diapers
20 seconds -
GNFS rescues stranded persons after flooding in Hohoe
22 minutes -
Baffour Awuah deliberately refused to honour EOCO invitation – Deputy AG, Srem-Sai
38 minutes -
‘Believe in these players’ – Carlos Queiroz tells Ghanaians after leaving Black Stars job
38 minutes -
ECG announces planned maintenance outage in parts of Accra on Friday
49 minutes -
Carlos Queiroz sacked as Black Stars head coach
57 minutes -
Parliamentary Sports Committee to ‘interrogate’ Black Stars struggles with Ministry, GFA invitations
1 hour -
Asutifi North Police arrest 7 in crackdown on suspected drug activities
1 hour -
Attijariwafa Bank: What to know about the Moroccan Group taking over SG Ghana
1 hour -
University Librarians Ghana honours past leaders for distinguished service
1 hour -
Seychelles President leads high-level dialogue on Africa’s digital future at FALS Global Conversations in New York
1 hour -
24-hour economy requires faster justice for commercial cases – Chief of Staff
2 hours -
Five Agric Colleges receive digital tools to drive climate-smart farming
2 hours -
GPL 2026/27: Kotoko face Karela test as Hamza Obeng takes temporary charge
2 hours -
QNET condemns misuse of its name in fraudulent recruitment schemes
2 hours