Insecticide Spraying Program Reduces Malaria Cases in Rwanda’s Kigali Province

Health centers in Rwanda's Kigali province have reported a 30% decrease in malaria cases since the country initiated an indoor-insecticide spraying program in 2007, Focus Media reports. The program has implemented three rounds of spraying since its launch. Stephen Kanamugire, a physician at Kicukiro district's health center, said the center has received "significantly fewer malaria-related cases" since the start of the insecticide spraying.

Despite the success of the program, some residents in the province have expressed concern about the possible side effects of the insecticide. In response to these concerns, Rwanda's National Malaria Program has announced that students from the Kigali Health Institute will accompany spraying teams and that nearby hospitals will be prepared to treat people who experience side effects from the insecticide. The program also could address misconceptions about insecticide spraying by expanding its awareness campaigns, Focus Media reports. Silas Hitimana, a local leader in the Niboye sector of Kicukiro district, said people who refuse to allow spraying in their homes could jeopardize the success of the program. Hitimana said, "If 10 households reject the spraying at the village level, then the mosquitoes in those houses will continue to spread malaria even to those who have accepted the treatment."

Although some people have complained that mosquitoes still appear after indoor spraying takes place, health authorities respond that the spraying only targets the female Anopheles mosquitoes, which are malaria vectors. Some people also have suggested that the program perform outdoor insecticide spraying to target mosquito breeding areas such as marshlands and stagnant water (Ruburika, Focus Media, 2/20).