Other research on innovative vector control tools

The spatial repellant product class has the potential to reduce outdoor mosquito biting, which no established vector control interventions currently target. Spatial repellents are currently under evaluation to determine protective efficacy against malaria. Our research portfolio includes piloting a new product under development in two settings with very different malaria epidemiology: in Zambia, where outdoor transmission often occurs in peri-domestic outdoor cooking spaces, and in Indonesia, where outdoor transmission occurs in deeply-forested settings among migratory workers. As part of this research, the MEI with the University of Notre Dame is conducting user acceptability studies to document malaria knowledge, attitudes, and practices and perceptions on the use and acceptability of the spatial repellent product including user willingness to pay. We are also conducting prospective costing studies in both Zambia and Indonesia, which will forecast the scale-up costs for targeted use of this spatial repellent product among at-risk populations in both settings. Results from these studies will inform the further development of the spatial repellent product under study, as well as its potential use and roll-out in countries with high rates of outdoor malaria transmission.