Vector control: a cornerstone in the malaria elimination campaign

Abstract

Over many decades, malaria elimination has been considered to be one of the most ambitious goals of the international community. Vector control is a cornerstone in malaria control, owing to the lack of reliable vaccines, the emergence of drug resistance, and unaffordable potent antimalarials. In the recent past, a few countries have achieved malaria elimination by employing existing front-line vector control interventions and active case management. However, many challenges lie ahead on the long road to meaningful accomplishment, and the following issues must therefore be adequately addressed in malaria-prone settings in order to achieve our target of 100% worldwide malaria elimination and eventual eradication: (i) consistent administration of integrated vector management; (ii) identification of innovative user and environment-friendly alternative technologies and delivery systems; (iii) exploration and development of novel and powerful contextual community-based interventions; and (iv) improvement of the efficiency and efficacy of existing interventions and their combinations, such as vector control, diagnosis, treatment, vaccines, biological control of vectors, environmental management, and surveillance. I strongly believe that we are moving in the right direction, along with partnership-wide support, towards the enviable milestone of malaria elimination by employing vector control as a potential tool.