Bibliographic Info
GuidelineWHO guidelines for malaria, 13 August 2025
Year of Publication2025
Issuing InstitutionWorld Health Organization
Recommendation
Status
Updated
Recommended in favor
Conditional
Certainty of evidence
Low
Insecticides can be regularly applied to water bodies (larviciding) for the prevention and control of malaria in children and adults as a supplementary intervention to insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and Indoor residual spraying (IRS) in areas with ongoing malaria transmission where aquatic habitats are few, fixed and findable
Notes and Remarks
- 1.Since larviciding only reduces vector density, it does not have the same potential for health impact as ITNs and IRS both of which reduce vector longevity and provide protection from biting vectors. As a result, larviciding should never be seen as a substitute for ITNs or IRS in areas with significant malaria risk, but represents a potential supplementary strategy for malaria control in Africa. Larviciding will generally be most effective in areas where larval habitats are few, fixed and findable, and likely less feasible in areas where the aquatic habitats are abundant, scattered and variable.