Book description
Diseases transmitted by insects continue to have a major impact on
human populations. Malaria, dengue, onchocerciasis, sleeping sickness
and leishmaniasis all adversely affect man. Malaria is one of the most
important causes of child mortality and reduces economic development in
many countries, with agricultural productivity often greatly reduced, as
many vectors are active in the wet season favourable for crop
production. Vector control is crucial to reduce the extent to which
drugs are needed to treat the diseases, as the parasite can become
resistant, or the drugs are often too expensive for those living in
rural areas and urban slums most affected by these diseases.
Chemical control of vectors is often the only method that can reduce
vector populations in a disease epidemic, but with vectors developing
resistance to insecticides, there is increasing awareness that a
single control method is often insufficient and also that chemical
control must be integrated where possible with other control measures.
In Integrated Vector Management, Graham Matthews covers the
main chemical methods of vector control, including the use of indoor
residual spraying, space treatments, the use of treated bed nets and
larviciding, but also stresses the importance of drainage schemes and
improvement of houses to prevent access of indoor vectors, techniques
that have largely been responsible for reducing the risk of vector
borne diseases in Europe and the USA. This book combines practical
information from successful vector control programmes, including early
use of DDT, and recent research into a vital resource for all those
now involved in combating insect vector borne diseases.
Integrated Vector Management is an essential tool, not only for
medical entomologists and those directly involved in government health
departments, but also for all those who provide the skills and
management needed to operate successful area-wide vector management
programmes. Libraries in all universities and research establishments
world-wide, where biological sciences, medicine and agriculture are
studied and taught should have multiple copies of this important book.
Graham Matthews is Emeritus Professor of Pest
Management at Imperial College, London, UK and, since 1972, he has
advised the World Health Organization on the equipment used for vector
control. Over the last decade he has also been Technical Director of
the NGO, Yaounde Initiative Foundation and has been directly involved
in vector control in Cameroon.
