Fighting Malaria Together Newsletter - May 2011

Durable linings—next new malaria prevention intervention?

Insecticide-treated plastic sheeting is being hung in rural homes to prevent the transmission of malaria.

Researchers are exploring the development of a new malaria control intervention: insecticide-treated plastic sheeting that can be hung on the interior walls of houses to kill mosquitoes that transmit malaria. This plastic sheeting—sometimes called a durable lining—is laminated polyethylene impregnated with pyrethroid. A durable lining functions similarly to indoor residual spraying—it interrupts the malaria transmission cycle by killing mosquitoes that rest on its surface after taking a blood meal.

Durable linings are said to have several key advantages: Whereas insecticides can only be sprayed directly on walls with smooth surfaces, durable linings can be hung on any irregular surface and work well on walls made from mud or straw. They are made from tough plastic and are resistant to tearing, and they are effective for up to three years. Durable linings also don’t require any training to use and are perceived as contributing to the aesthetic value of a household.

A study conducted in western Kenya to assess the effectiveness of durable linings found malaria prevalence and anemia rates were lower in villages that used the linings compared to those that used untreated linings. Another study conducted in Burkina Faso found that the linings were effective in killing mosquitoes that land on their surface, but that they did not significantly impact mosquito blood-feeding rates.

Before durable linings can be recommended for large-scale implementation, WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme testing procedures and guidelines will need to be developed for manufacturers, and robust epidemiological data will need to be obtained.