Developing global maps of insecticide resistance risk to improve vector control

Area of Science:

• Entomology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Malaria transmission has decreased, but insecticide resistance in Anopheles vectors threatens progress.
• Pyrethroid insecticides, a common tool, are becoming less effective due to widespread resistance.
• Limited alternative insecticide classes are approved for public health use, necessitating better resistance monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the challenge of monitoring insecticide resistance in malaria vectors across diverse geographical locations.
• To develop tools for estimating the spatial distribution of insecticide resistance.
• To support malaria control programs with timely and accurate resistance data.

Main Methods:

• Compiled insecticide resistance data from published literature, author communications, and unpublished datasets.
• Disaggregated data to the finest possible spatial and temporal resolutions.
• Included data for all four major insecticide classes and their resistance mechanisms.

Main Results:

• The dataset spans from 1955 to October 2016, covering 71 malaria-endemic countries.
• Data includes information on 74 Anopheles mosquito species.
• Comprehensive data on insecticide resistance and associated mechanisms are included.

Conclusions:

• Continuous monitoring of mosquito populations for insecticide resistance is resource-intensive and challenging.
• The Malaria Atlas Project-Insecticide Resistance (MAP-IR) aims to provide spatial estimates of resistance.
• MAP-IR tools will assist in guiding malaria vector control programs facing insecticide resistance challenges.