In 2015 and 2016, the Bioko Island Malaria Control Project (BIMCP) introduced a pilot larvicide program, which recruited local volunteers to assess the sustainability and effectiveness of community-led larval source management. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the community-led LSM program to determine if this type of intervention could be used as a sustainable malaria control method on Bioko Island.
The pilot program was split into two phases, both taking place between February and December, with phase I in 2015 and phase II in 2016. During phase I, the BIMCP team assisted in identifying and treating
During phase I, 1,033 breeding sites were identified with a 100% treatment coverage rate. Only 970 breeding sites were identified in phase II with a 75% treatment coverage rate, a significant decrease from phase I (p<0.001). Between phase I and phase II, larvicide usage also decreased by 45% (95% CI: 32, 59%, p=0.003). However, excluding the sentinel site Balboa, vector density showed a nonsignificant (p=0.272) relationship between phase I and phase II.
Overall, community-based larval source management can be effective with strong operational management and oversight. However, repeated training and evaluation will be necessary to monitor the effectiveness and sustainability of such interventions.