Abstract:
Despite compelling evidence that modern housing protects against malaria, houses in
endemic areas are still commonly porous to mosquitoes. The protective efficacy of four
prototype screened doors and two windows designs against mosquito house entry, their
impact on indoor climate, as well as their use, durability and acceptability was assessed
in a Gambian village. A baseline survey collected data on all the houses and discrete
household units, each consisting of a front and back room, were selected and randomly
allocated to the study arms. Each prototype self-closing screened door and window was
installed in six and 12 units, respectively, with six unaltered units serving as controls. All
prototype doors reduced the number of house-entering mosquitoes by 59-77% in
comparison with the control houses. The indoor climate of houses with screened doors
was similar to control houses. Seventy-nine percentage of door openings at night
occurred from dusk to midnight, when malaria vectors begin entering houses. Ten weeks
after installation the doors and windows were in good condition, although 38% of doors
did not fully self-close and latch (snap shut). The new doors and windows were popular
with residents. The prototype door with perforated concertinaed screening was the best
performing door because it reduced mosquito entry, remained fully functional, and was
preferred by the villagers. Screened doors and windows may be useful tools for reducing
vector exposure and keeping areas malaria-free after elimination, when investment in
routine vector control becomes difficult to maintain.