Skip to main content
Bulletin of the World Health Organization logoLink to Bulletin of the World Health Organization
. 1992;70(3):293–296.

Insecticide-impregnated bed nets for malaria control: a review of the field trials.

A Bermejo, H Veeken
PMCID: PMC2393280  PMID: 1638658

Abstract

Insecticide-impregnated bed nets act as a physical barrier to repel and kill mosquitos. Community intervention trials suggest that these nets are effective in preventing malaria-related mortality and morbidity--but not malaria infection--in areas of low and moderate transmission; the results from areas of high transmission are not so encouraging. Comparison of the results from these trials and their interpretation are difficult because of variations in the epidemiology of malaria and several methodological flaws. Problems such as defining appropriate health indicators, monitoring bed-net usage, introducing bed nets randomly, selecting adequate controls, performing statistical analysis, and comparing bed nets with other available interventions are considered. Further community intervention trials are needed, paying attention to the methods and to assessment of their impact on malaria.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Blum D., Feachem R. G. Measuring the impact of water supply and sanitation investments on diarrhoeal diseases: problems of methodology. Int J Epidemiol. 1983 Sep;12(3):357–365. doi: 10.1093/ije/12.3.357. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Giglioli G. Changes in the pattern of mortality following the eradication of hyperendemic malaria from a highly susceptible community. Bull World Health Organ. 1972;46(2):181–202. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Graves P. M., Brabin B. J., Charlwood J. D., Burkot T. R., Cattani J. A., Ginny M., Paino J., Gibson F. D., Alpers M. P. Reduction in incidence and prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum in under-5-year-old children by permethrin impregnation of mosquito nets. Bull World Health Organ. 1987;65(6):869–877. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hii J. L., Vun Y. S., Chin K. F., Chua R., Tambakau S., Binisol E. S., Fernandez E., Singh N., Chan M. K. The influence of permethrin-impregnated bednets and mass drug administration on the incidence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children in Sabah, Malaysia. Med Vet Entomol. 1987 Oct;1(4):397–407. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.1987.tb00370.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hossain M. I., Curtis C. F. Permethrin-impregnated bednets: behavioural and killing effects on mosquitoes. Med Vet Entomol. 1989 Oct;3(4):367–376. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.1989.tb00243.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Leake D. W., Jr, Hii J. L. Giving bednets "fair" tests in field trials against malaria:a case from Sabah, East Malaysia. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 1989 Sep;20(3):379–384. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lines J. D., Myamba J., Curtis C. F. Experimental hut trials of permethrin-impregnated mosquito nets and eave curtains against malaria vectors in Tanzania. Med Vet Entomol. 1987 Jan;1(1):37–51. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.1987.tb00321.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Magesa S. M., Wilkes T. J., Mnzava A. E., Njunwa K. J., Myamba J., Kivuyo M. D., Hill N., Lines J. D., Curtis C. F. Trial of pyrethroid impregnated bednets in an area of Tanzania holoendemic for malaria. Part 2. Effects on the malaria vector population. Acta Trop. 1991 Jun;49(2):97–108. doi: 10.1016/0001-706x(91)90057-q. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Njunwa K. J., Lines J. D., Magesa S. M., Mnzava A. E., Wilkes T. J., Alilio M., Kivumbi K., Curtis C. F. Trial of pyrethroid impregnated bednets in an area of Tanzania holoendemic for malaria. Part 1. Operational methods and acceptability. Acta Trop. 1991 Jun;49(2):87–96. doi: 10.1016/0001-706x(91)90056-p. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ranque P., Touré Y. T., Soula G., Du L., Diallo Y., Traoré O., Duflo B., Balique H. Etude expérimentale sur l'utilisation de moustiquaires imprégnées de deltaméthrine dans la lutte contre le paludisme. Parassitologia. 1984 Dec;26(3):261–268. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Rozendaal J. A., Curtis C. F. Recent research on impregnated mosquito nets. J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 1989 Dec;5(4):500–507. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Sexton J. D., Ruebush T. K., 2nd, Brandling-Bennett A. D., Breman J. G., Roberts J. M., Odera J. S., Were J. B. Permethrin-impregnated curtains and bed-nets prevent malaria in western Kenya. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1990 Jul;43(1):11–18. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1990.43.11. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Snow R. W., Lindsay S. W., Hayes R. J., Greenwood B. M. Permethrin-treated bed nets (mosquito nets) prevent malaria in Gambian children. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1988;82(6):838–842. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(88)90011-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Snow R. W., Rowan K. M., Greenwood B. M. A trial of permethrin-treated bed nets in the prevention of malaria in Gambian children. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1987;81(4):563–567. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(87)90408-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Bulletin of the World Health Organization are provided here courtesy of World Health Organization

RESOURCES