Malaria experts from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), United States President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI)/African Indoor Residual Spraying Programme (ARS), Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, University of Ilorin and University of Ibadan, and others at the just concluded five-day training for states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja vector control officers on indoor residual spraying (IRS) have endorsed the method as critical for malaria elimination in Nigeria.

The malaria experts including the Vector Control Officers, in a communiqué released at the end of the training held last week in Abuja, reaffirmed the importance of, as well as their unwavering commitment to IRS as one of the primary interventions of reducing malaria burden in Nigeria.

They recommended among other things that:

• States should adopt and implement the National IRS Policy document using the guidelines for implementation.
• States should strategically establish, equip and maintain vector control laboratories for entomological studies.
• NMCP and States should organize regular training and retraining of Vector Control Officers to enhance their practical skills and competence for entomological monitoring and surveillance necessary to generate adequate knowledge and data required to inform cost effective implementation and programme management in Nigeria.
• States should designate and retain Vector Control Officers for sustenance of the critical mass capacity being built for Integrated Vector Control programmes in Nigeria.
• There is need to strengthen collaboration with other partners in the deployment of IRS as exemplified by the PMI|AIRS Project.
• Set up State Committee on IRS to serve as a platform for experts and professionals to advise government on ways to achieve targets in the current National Strategic Plan on IRS scale-up progressively to 25 per cent by 2015 as part of the Integrated Vector Control efforts in Nigeria.
• Strong advocacy led by NMCP should be made to States and Local Governments on the importance of IRS towards achieving malaria disease reduction targets set by Roll Back Malaria (RBM) and NMCP in Nigeria.
• Federal Government should establish vector control laboratories in each of the six geopolitical zones to serve as reference laboratories and training centres for Vector Control Officers.
• The Federal Ministry of Health through the National Malaria Control Programme should establish structures and systems for managing IRS activities at various levels of government to ensure effective and efficient implementation of IRS campaigns.

The five-day training was organized by Abt Development Foundation implementing the PMI|AIRS Project funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with NMCP.

Present at the training were the representative of the National Coordinator, NMCP, Dr. Nnenna Ezeigwe; the immediate past NMCP Coordinator, Dr. Chioma Amajoh; Dr. Mark Maire and Dr. David Hoel from the CDC and Dr. Henry Nsa, Country Chief of Party for Abt Development Foundation, PMI|AIRS Project Nigeria and his team.

Also present from the academia were Dr. Sam Awolola from the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Dr. Dayo Oduola from the University of Ilorin, and Dr. Nkem Okorie from the University of Ibadan.   Also in attendance were State Vector Control Officers, Entomologists and Entomology Technicians from the 36 States of the Federation and FCT.

The objectives of the training were to: train Vector Control Officers on basic entomological methods; build capacity of State Vector Control Officers on entomological surveillance; and strengthen and expand field laboratories/insectary facilities at sentinel sites for entomological monitoring.

Amajoh, who chaired the programme, expressed gladness that the opportunity was given to build the capacity of the vector control officers and entomology technicians in the bid to sustain IRS in the country. She emphasized that IRS has been described as the most effective vector control intervention that reduces malaria mortality and morbidity.

Consultant Entomologist and Head, Public Health and Vector Control Department, NIMR, Yaba, Lagos, Dr. Sam Awolola, reiterated that in-country capacity building for malaria vector control is a necessity which cannot be over emphasized. He said that from the information from the States, shows that there are no capacities at the state level to ensure sustainability of IRS implementation in Nigeria.

Dr. David Hoel from CDC Atlanta informed that malaria used to be of a public health importance in USA, which was eliminated using integrated vector management, mass drug administration as well as window screens.