For decades, malaria control efforts in Africa have centered on bed nets, indoor spraying, and repellents. But, while effective in protecting households, these efforts don’t address the outdoors — where mosquitoes breed. Climate change, shifting mosquito behavior, and funding shortfalls are intensifying the challenge, making outdoor-focused approaches a critical next step.
In response, Devex hosted a high-level roundtable discussion in partnership with Valent BioSciences on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, or UNGA80, focusing on why outdoor mosquito management has been overlooked — and how integrated approaches can accelerate the elimination of mosquito-borne diseases.
Why outdoor mosquito management matters
According to Jason Clark, managing director for global public health and forest health at Valent BioSciences, relying solely on indoor measures does not match the reality of malaria transmission. And countries which have successfully eliminated malaria have all recognized the need to manage mosquitoes holistically.
“Even that same species that once only would bite people indoors is changing and biting people outdoors,” he explained. New invasive species that prefer outdoor biting are also spreading, meaning that nets and indoor spraying alone cannot stop transmission. “If you’re sleeping under a net, that’s not going to help if mosquitoes are biting you outdoors,” he said.
Silas Majambere, Valent BioSciences’ business manager, added that source control — such as reducing breeding sites and managing larvae — is a proven yet neglected tool.
“We don’t know any country that has eliminated malaria because of using bed nets and [indoor residual spraying] alone. But we know countries that have eliminated malaria [by] focusing on outdoor mosquito management, environmental management, house modification — those things we’re not doing in Africa,” he said.
From control to management: A systems approach
Speakers emphasized the need to shift from short-term mosquito “control” to long-term “management.” Clark argued that the conversation should move beyond a focus solely on malaria to include other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, and Zika, which affect billions worldwide.
He also pointed to lessons from history: “New York City was the first recorded organized mosquito control in the U.S. back in 1901. They had fewer tools, less money — and yet it worked. Africa today has better technology [and] better resources. If we model what has worked elsewhere, the policy and politics can follow.”
Majambere stressed the role of education and local leadership in making this shift: “A real, serious mosquito management program has to [go] beyond dropping down some commodities. If mothers are educated and children are educated that the mosquitoes are coming from the potholes around your house, you will know what to do about it.”
Financing and partnerships for sustainability
Sustaining integrated mosquito management requires rethinking partnerships and funding. Majambere noted that, while donor aid has been vital, governments must take greater ownership: “Governments have to step in and take over this health issue. It can’t be outsourced forever. They will find partners … but the priorities need to be set properly.”
Both speakers agreed that climate change makes the shift even more urgent. Flooding, displacement, and shifting habitats are already driving malaria risk in Africa. “Climate change will happen. Floods will happen. A lot of things will continue to happen,” Majambere said. “But if you have a resilient system, enough education, and the tools, mosquitoes are not the most difficult thing to control.”
Clark closed with a call to action: “This is something that is within our grasp, that can be done in our lifetime. … We have the solutions today.”
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