Larval source management for malaria control: prospects for new technologies and community involvement

Tackling the aquatic stages of anopheline malaria vectors is a key element in integrated vector management (IVM) programmes. The first large trials with Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) as a novel biological control agent demonstrated that its impact can be highly effective, but context dependent. To better understand this dependency, there is a need to answer fundamental questions on mosquito larval ecology. At the same time, new technologies enter the stage, e.g. drones for delivery of Bti and approaches with genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes, that can aid field control operations. Such developments are promising, but any larval source management (LSM) programme also needs the involvement of communities from the very start in order to implement sustainable programmes. In this chapter, progress in answering fundamental questions on larval ecology is reviewed and recent examples that specifically aimed to assess the feasibility of involving communities in IVM programs for malaria control are discussed.