Participatory Mapping as a Component of Operational Malaria Vector Control in Tanzania

Abstract

AbstractGlobal efforts to tackle malaria have gained unprecedented momentum. However, in order to move towards the ambitious goal of eliminating and eventually eradicating malaria, existing tools must be improved and new tools developed. The City of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is home to the first operational community-based larviciding programme targeting malaria vectors in modern Africa. In an attempt to optimize the accuracy of the application of larvicides, a participatory mapping and monitoring approach was introduced that includes (1) community-based development of sketch maps of the target areas, and (2) verification of the sketch maps using laminated aerial photographs in the field which are later digitized and analyzed using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The participatory mapping approach developed enables gap-free coverage of targeted areas with mosquito larval habitat control, and more equal distribution of the workload of field staff. The procedure has been tested, validated and successfully applied in 56 km2 of the city area. Currently, the approach is being scaled up to an area of about eight times that size, thus covering most of the urban area of Dar es Salaam. The procedure is simple, straightforward, replicable and at relatively low cost. It requires only minimal technical skills and equipment. In the case of Dar es Salaam, the resulting database provides a spatial resolution of administrative boundaries that is almost 50 times higher than that of previously available data. This level of detail can be very useful for a wide range of other purposes rather than merely malaria control, for example implementation of council programmes in a variety of sectors and spatially-explicit analyses for research and evaluation purposes.KeywordsMappingParticipatoryGISMalaria controlTanzania