- Written by Chukwuma Muanya
AS part of efforts geared towards elimination of malaria from the country, a United States-sponsored Malaria Initiative in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) are set to conduct entomological surveillance in six states of the federation.
Entomological surveillance is used to determine changes in the geographical distribution and density of the vector, evaluate programmes, obtain relative measurements of the vector population over time and facilitate appropriate and timely decisions regarding interventions.
Africa Indoor Residual Spraying Project (AIRS), a three-year award funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the US Presidents’ Malaria Initiative (PMI) had in 2011 introduced and piloted a model for an Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) programme at a state/local government area level in two local government areas (LGAs) of Nasarawa State namely Nasarawa Eggon and Doma.
However, Country Technical Manager, Abt Associates/USAID/PMI-AIRS Project, Nigeria, Dr. Petrus Inyama, at a Principal Investigators and Entomology Technicians Training organised, last week, in Abuja in collaboration with NMEP said AIRS Nigeria has, in 2014, transited from full IRS implementation to entomological surveillance in six sentinel sites out of the 18 sentinel sites proposed by NMEP, which are domiciled in universities and research institutes.
Inyama who stood in for the Regional Operations Manager Dr. Nduka Iwuchukwu, said that the sites included Epe in Lagos State, Kirikashama in Jigawa State, Shendam/Barkin Ladi in Plateau State, Enugu in Enugu State, Ikwere in Rivers State and Nararawa Eggon/Doma in Nasarawa State.
Inyama said that the project would capture standard entomological indicators in all the six sentinel sites. “These would be compared by the type of malaria control interventions and coverage across the geopolitical and ecological zones of the country,” he said.
Inyama said the security challenges in the northeast made the site in that area to be put on hold. “Through activities planned for 2014, information will be collected to help the NMEP in making data-driven decisions for programming vector control activities in Nigeria,” he said.
Inyama further stated: “In furtherance to PMI’s goal of supporting NMCP in the area of capacity building and systems strengthening, AIRS Nigeria has organized this training to showcase best practices in malaria vector surveillance which includes evaluating the density of vectors in IRS-targeted and non- IRS targeted areas, the indoor/outdoor, resting/biting behavior of the vectors and resistance status of malaria vectors in the selected areas.
“I am made to understand that in Nigeria, there is no comprehensive picture of the Anopheline fauna in general and the malaria vectors in particular. In order to create a broad body of knowledge on malaria vectors, the PMI is asking the AIRS Nigeria project to expand entomological surveillance work to six sentinel sites, strategically selected to represent all of the geopolitical zones of the country.”
He said that the PMI wished to continue to support NMEP in this important area of entomological surveillance and other strategic areas of need because of her conviction that the quest towards malaria elimination in Nigeria would not be successful without a concerted and coordinated vector control efforts.
To consolidate on the above-mentioned gains of PMI’s support to NMEP, Inyama enjoined participants to be committed to this training and resolve to carry out the responsibilities bestowed on them at the various sentinel sites. “We believe that with the correct political will and the commitment of various stakeholders, we will win the fight against malaria.”
National Coordinator, NMEP, Dr. Nnenna Ezeigwe, who declared open the workshop, called on other esteemed Partners of the Programme to come on board this giant train as it is a collective responsibility to continue to sustain the efforts and huge resources already committed to this fight against malaria and its burden in Nigeria and the African region in general.
Ezeigwe, who was represented by Dr. Joe Akila, said that the federal government in collaboration with the other tiers of government and the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) partners is committing huge resources to ensure the actualization of the current malaria elimination goal.
“If these efforts must yield the expected goal, the importance of malaria vector surveillance cannot be over emphasized. Therefore, I implore all our esteemed partners to join this effort aimed at creating a structure, which will enable an effective tracking of the huge resource inputs against the expected outcomes,” she said.
Dr. David Hoel of CDC Atlanta Georgia who represented USAID stressed the need for vector control against malaria in Nigeria. He said that the USAID was ready to support the sentinel sites set up by NMEP as Nigeria moves towards malaria elimination.
Heoel advocated for insecticide rotation in vector control interventions as the continuous use of pyrethroids which is one of the World Health Organisation Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES) – approved insecticides by both agricultural and public health sectors may lead to the loss of susceptibility of the insecticides due to resistance.
Speaking on behalf of the Malaria Partners, the Director of Community Vision Initiative Dr. Chioma Amajoh (popularly called Mama Malaria) who is also the immediate past National Coordinator of NMEP, appreciated the PMI | AIRS Nigeria for demonstrating a model IRS in Nigeria and emphasized that IRS is not expensive contrary to global thoughts and perception since the equipment is procured once at the start of the exercise.
Amajoh commended the NMEP for their fight to take Nigeria towards malaria elimination and the Federal Government for initiating the Integrated Test, Treat and larviciding (ITTL) programme which is about to take off stressing that proper implementation of the programme across the nation will eventually lead to the total elimination and eventual eradication of malaria in Nigeria.
She said: “If we build team spirit for maximum output, more partners will be attracted towards the fight against malaria. Furthermore, she praised the Principal Investigators for their hard work and commitment but advocated for the publication research findings for the world to know.”
Principal Investigator for Jigawa Sentinel site, Dr. Abdulsalami Yayo, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said that resistance by both parasites and vectors has limited the successes achieved in malaria control stressing that governments and agencies should direct resources aright.
Yayo said that the training offered the opportunity to address the problem of malaria squarely as the Principal Investigators were committed to the success of the programme not just because of the money but because of humanity.
Head of Department, Vector Control Unit of the Nigeria Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, who is also one of the Principal Investigators, thanked the PMI for supporting the sentinel sites and promised good data that anybody can be proud of in the world. He urged the NMEP to use the personnel at the training as a network for Vector Surveillance in Nigeria.
Certificates were awarded to participants at the end of the training.
Other dignitaries at the training include Dr. Uwem Inyang, the Malaria Programme Officer, USAID Mission, Abuja, Prof. Greg Ike Anyanwu, Prof. Georgina Mwansat, Dr. Ebere Nwabueze and Mr. Ogbonnaya Nwokocha, Assistant Director IRS at NMEP.
Inyama further explained: “The need for capacity building of health workers at all levels on standard protocols and techniques that would meet national and international performance standards in malaria control cannot be overemphasized. Failure to use the right tools to fight malaria as approved by the WHO, PMI, and other accredited authorities, would result invariably in the resources deployed towards this fight amounting to nothing but waste. To this end, we are glad to gather Principal Investigators and Technicians for this strategic training exercise that will be facilitated by a carefully selected team of experienced Vector Control experts in Nigeria.
Before I go further, it is pertinent to take us memory lane. This exercise is anchored by the Africa IRS project, Nigeria, a President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI)/USAID funded project handled by Abt Associates Inc; whose mandate has been to implement among others, a demonstration IRS project in Nigeria in two local government areas of Nasarawa state (Doma and Nasarawa Eggon). I wish to announce that the project, which was concluded in December last year, was successfully implemented in a way consistent with the expectations and stipulations of PMI, of course in conjunction and collaboration with the National malaria Elimination Program, the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency and the Doma and Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area Councils, etc.
“The project successfully concluded two spray cycles in a relatively low transmission zone in North Central Nigeria, the first being in April to May 2012, and the last in April to May, 2013. The 2013 cycle, which was very successful, built on the experiences and lessons learnt from the 2012 campaign. The exercise methodically demonstrated improvements in the overall operationalisation of the campaign in the areas of M&E, environmental compliance, logistics management, recruitment and training of spray personnel with resultant improvement in spray techniques, enhanced BCC strategies; and in entomology, utilized an in-house insectary in Keffi to ensure the supply of adequate numbers of susceptible Anopheles gambiae ss (Kisumu) and wild strains of mosquitoes for improved entomological monitoring and quality assurance.”
He said that the following were concomitant achievements in last year’s spray cycle, which lasted for 33 days: 652 spray operations personnel (84 per cent male; 16 per cent female) trained; A total of 62,592 structures sprayed out of 64,191 structures found by the spray operators, representing 97.5 per cent spray coverage and A total population of 346,798, which included 16,733 pregnant women and 67,204 children under age five were protected.
Inyama added: “A very robust and standardized entomological monitoring based on best practices was carried out; the result revealed the diverse species of Anopheles mosquitoes sustaining the transmission of malaria in Nasarawa State as well as the resistance status of local mosquitoes in the intervention areas. Quality assurance and cone bioassay tests showed that the insecticide deployed (Deltamethrin) was effective against both susceptible and local mosquitoes. This corroborates the evidence of improved strategies, standard and quality deployment of personnel and materials.”
“AIRS Nigeria collaborated with the Nasarawa State University Keffi by successfully establishing a standard insectary where susceptible strains of Anopheles gambiae s.s. (Kisumu) have been raised for the first time in North Central Nigeria.”
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