Contribution of Larviciding and factors affecting its implementation in reducing malaria burden among school age children in Tanga region

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: The World Malaria Report of 2022 reported an estimated 247 million cases of Malaria, a 2 million increase from 2020. Tanzania is one of the top ten African countries responsible for approximately sixty-six percent of the world's Malaria cases. WHO recommends an integrated approach in the control and elimination efforts of Malaria including vector control using Larviciding. In Tanzania, the government began promoting Larviciding in the early 2000s after it was successful in Dar es Salaam. Objective: To assess the contribution of Larviciding in reducing Malaria burden among school-age children and to explore factors affecting its implementation in Tanga Region. Method: A Mixed triangulation study with a convergence model was applied where a cross-sectional case study was conducted together with a phenomenological study. In a cross-sectional study, secondary data from the National School Malaria Parasitaemia Survey of 2015 – 2023 was used to examine the trend of Malaria infection in Muheza District Council (No Larviciding) and Tanga City Council (Larviciding). In a phenomenological study, in-depth interviews were employed to gather information on the factors affecting the implementation of Larviciding. Qualitative data was analyzed manually. Data analysis was done by using a thematic approach. Results: The trend of Malaria is declining from 2015 to 2023 for both districts, however, the decline is gradual and steady in Tanga CC, and the Malaria burden in prevalence is lower in Tanga CC by 6.5 %. The factors found affecting the intervention of Larviciding were few community volunteers, pungent smell of the larvicides, lack of transportation for the activity, inaccessibility of some very big breeding sites with long grasses, environmental challenges such as climatic changes in rainy seasons, insufficient incentives to community volunteers, volunteers resigning after they being trained and climatic changes. Conclusion and recommendation: There is a significant contribution of Larviciding in the reduction of the Malaria burden among school-age children. Adding more Malaria prevention interventions to this age group of school-age children will be of importance in reducing the Malaria burden to this specific age group.