Are you concerned about the spread of diseases within the confines of your home? The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently released a new manual aimed at combating the invasion of indoor residual spraying (IRS) or household insecticides. According to the report, over 80% of the world's population is at risk of one or more vector-borne diseases.
Mosquitoes, flies, bugs, and other vectors spread viruses, parasites, and bacteria that infect millions of people worldwide. These diseases include malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya, yellow fever, Zika virus disease, leishmaniasis, and Chagas disease.
Vector-borne diseases thrive due to poverty, and mortality rates are often higher in impoverished populations. Those who survive may suffer permanent disabilities or deformities, leading to further detriment. Collectively, these diseases have a significant impact on economies and hinder both rural and urban development.
To combat malaria, WHO recommends two large-scale vector control methods: insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying (IRS). IRS involves the application of insecticides inside homes and other buildings where disease-spreading vectors may rest. While IRS is heavily utilized to kill Anopheles mosquitoes, it can also eliminate other disease-carrying vectors.
Dr. Jan Kolaczinski, Head of the Vector Control and Pesticide Resistance Unit at WHO's Global Malaria Programme, stated that WHO's guidance on malaria prevention and control was previously limited to IRS against Anopheles mosquitoes.
However, the new manual includes other vector-borne diseases alongside malaria. It aligns with WHO's strategic goal of strengthening vector control worldwide through integrated action across sectors and diseases from 2017 to 2030.
Successful IRS campaigns require committed individuals, high-level political dedication, and financial resources. Ensuring adequate health system capacity to timely and effectively spray, with quality assurance and community acceptance of spraying, is also critical for success.
Covering as many people as possible, particularly vulnerable groups, focusing on the protection of weak populations, is essential. Approval for spraying from more units and structures, progress or proficiency in spraying, and monitoring and evaluating the campaign's coverage, acceptance, progress, quality, and, where possible, impact are all necessary.
Vector-borne disease control programs' managers and staff, as well as national, sub-national, or local-level implementation or private sector partners involved in the design, planning, or implementation of vector control operations, are included in IRS rules.
The new manual for malaria is a document of WHO guidelines. It is based on leishmaniasis vector control, monitoring, and evaluation-based rules, urban areas' household insecticide spraying for Aedes aegypti control, and WHO documents.
Moreover, the new rules for insecticide spraying will support locally high-quality, effective, and safe spraying to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases.
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