Assessing the role of community involvement and capacity building in larviciding applications for malaria control in Africa: A scoping review
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Date
2025-08-14
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Larviciding offers a supplementary approach in malaria vector control, particularly when applied through
community engagement and capacity building. A scoping review was performed to evaluate existing larviciding
delivery mechanisms and their impacts on African malaria control. A scoping review was conducted following
the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The search strategy utilized Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free-text terms
related to “malaria”, “larvicide”, “community engagement” and “mosquito control”. The databases PubMed,
Scopus, and Embase were searched for relevant literature published until December 2024. Inclusion criteria
focused on studies addressing community engagement in delivering larviciding within African settings. After
applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 32 papers were ultimately included in the analysis. The studies
spanned 13 African countries, primarily in sub-Saharan regions, with findings indicating that larviciding
significantly reduced mosquito density and, in some cases, malaria incidence. Community engagement strategies
varied, with workshops and participatory meetings targeting various stakeholders to enhance awareness and
ownership of larviciding programmes. Community engagement and capacity building were critical to success-
fully implementing larviciding programmes. While challenges, such as logistical barriers, lack of awareness, and
financial constraints, persist, integrating technological innovations and strengthening monitoring systems can
enhance the sustainability of these efforts.
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG - 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
Keywords
Larviciding, Community engagement, Capacity building, Malaria control, Vector control