Control mosquitoes to stop the spread of malaria

Malaria and other serious diseases such as dengue fever, encephalitis, and filariasis are carried from one person to another by mosquitoes. One way to reduce malaria and these other diseases is to try to reduce the number of mosquitoes. How can we do this?

Mosquitoes usually lay their eggs in still water and the mosquito larvae develop there. The water could collect in something as small as an old tin can or as large as several hectares (acres) of swampland. If you look around your house and your village, you will probably find lots of places where mosquitoes could lay their eggs.

Here are some things you can do to reduce the amount of still water around the house so that mosquitoes will not be able to find so many places to lay their eggs. Cover barrels, cement tanks, or other containers where water is kept for drinking, washing, and bathing. Do not leave containers lying around which collect rainwater. These are things like old cans, bottles, plastic containers, pots, and old tires. Clean clogged drains so that water can flow properly. Fill in puddles with sand.

Also, think about the areas around the pump or tap where the bathing, cooking, or cleaning is done. Often waste water stays in puddles on the ground for days in these areas. There are two or three things you can do to prevent this. For example, you can dig a ditch to carry the water away from the pump or tap area. It could be as long as 100 metres (100 yards). This way, the water will spread out over a large area and will evaporate or be absorbed into the soil more easily. If possible, direct the ditch towards your kitchen garden so the water can irrigate your fruits and vegetables.

Something else you can do is make a drainage pit. This is a pit in the ground located under the washing area where you discard waste water. Dig a hole about 1 metre (3 feet) square and 1 metre (3 feet) deep and fill it with stones and gravel. Place large stones in the bottom of the pit, then add some layers of medium-sized stones, and then fill to the top with very small stones or gravel. Keep the drain clean. Water from the tap or pump filters quickly through the stones and then soaks into the soil.

Once again, remember to:

1) Cover barrels and other containers where water is stored.

2) Do not leave open containers lying around.

3) Clean out clogged drains.

4) Fill in puddles and pits around the house and on roadsides, with sand.

5) Dig a ditch or drainage pit near your washing area which will drain away waste water.

If you get together with some of your neighbours and work together, you will be able to control the mosquitoes in a larger area and reduce the mosquito population even more, so the benefits to you and your community will be even greater.

Very simply, do not allow water to collect and stay still anywhere. This way, there will be fewer locations where mosquitoes can lay their eggs, fewer mosquito larvae will develop, and overall you will have fewer mosquitoes spreading disease.

There are some other precautions you should take to reduce the chances of being bitten by mosquitoes. Keep your body covered at night when the mosquitoes bite. If possible, use mosquito netting over your bed when you are sleeping. Some people use screens or hang neem leaves or branches with leaves on them in their windows and doorways to keep mosquitoes out of the house.