PLOS Global Public Health (Jan 2021)

Spatial targeting of Screening + Eave tubes (SET), a house-based malaria control intervention, in Côte d'Ivoire: A geostatistical modelling study.

  • Tiago Canelas,
  • Edward Thomsen,
  • Daniel McDermott,
  • Eleanore Sternberg,
  • Matthew B Thomas,
  • Eve Worrall

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000030
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1, no. 11
p. e0000030

Abstract

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New malaria control tools and tailoring interventions to local contexts are needed to reduce the malaria burden and meet global goals. The housing modification, screening plus a targeted house-based insecticide delivery system called the In2Care® Eave Tubes, has been shown to reduce clinical malaria in a large cluster randomised controlled trial. However, the widescale suitability of this approach is unknown. We aimed to predict household suitability and define the most appropriate locations for ground-truthing where Screening + Eave Tubes (SET) could be implemented across Côte d'Ivoire. We classified DHS sampled households into suitable for SET based on the walls and roof materials. We fitted a Bayesian beta-binomial logistic model using the integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) to predict suitability of SET and to define priority locations for ground-truthing and to calculate the potential population coverage and costs. Based on currently available data on house type and malaria infection rate, 31% of the total population and 17.5% of the population in areas of high malaria transmission live in areas suitable for SET. The estimated cost of implementing SET in suitable high malaria transmission areas would be $46m ($13m -$108m). Ground-truthing and more studies should be conducted to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of SET in these settings. The study provides an example of implementing strategies to reflect local socio-economic and epidemiological factors, and move beyond blanket, one-size-fits-all strategies.