Community-based malaria vector surveillance in Rusinga Island, Western Kenya
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Date
2011-12-14
Authors
Kemboi, Samuel Kiptoo
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Abstract
Rural African communities have limited power over their own health facilities and public health services as these are mainly run from outside their localities by central governments or by local and foreign non-governmental organizations. As a result, community members do not identify themselves with national health goals and they believe that it is solely the role of the central government to implement all the health programs. One major drawback to malaria control is the general lack of accurate knowledge on its control strategies among community members. Rusinga Island community-owned malaria resource persons were trained and later carried out malaria vectors surveillance as one way of empowering communities to manage their own health initiatives. An assessment was done to evaluate the effectiveness of community-based malaria vector surveillance. The study assessed mosquito knowledge among trained and non-trained community members and evaluated the capability of trained community members in sampling adult mosquitoes using the Mbita trap. Their ability to identify, map, characterize mosquito breeding habitats and species density and diversity were determined. There was a significant difference between the trained and non-trained community members in malaria and non-malaria vectors knowledge, p < 0.05. The trained community members showed higher malaria and non-malaria vector knowledge one year after training, p < 0.05. There was no significant difference between the trained community members and laboratory identification of adult anopheline and culicine mosquitoes sampled using the Mbita trap, p > 0.05. In larval surveillance, there was a significant difference between the first and second larval mapping in the number, size of the breeding habitats, plants found within the breeding habitats, and determination of anopheline density by the trained community members,
p < 0.05. Education of trained community-owned malaria resource persons was a significant predictor in determining the number, size of the breeding habitat, and plants within the breeding habitats. Gender of trained community-owned malaria resource persons was a significant predictor in determination of the size, water conditions and depth of the breeding habitats. Age of the trained community-owned malaria resource persons was a significant predictor in determination of size of plants and water depth of the breeding habitats. Gender and age of trained community-owned malaria resource persons were significant predictors in determining the size of the breeding habitats and correct identification of aquatic stages of the mosquitoes. Training had a positive impact on the community ability in the identification of breeding habitats and malaria vectors and the use of the Mbita trap in sampling adult mosquitoes. The finding from this study underscores the potential of engaging community members in malaria vector surveillance and control activities.
Description
Department of Zoological Sciences, 78p. The RA 644.M2 K42 2008
Keywords
Malaria--prevention--Kenya, Rusinga, Island