UNHCR tests new method of malaria control

The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Monday it was testing a new method of malaria control in refugee camps. This involved using insecticide-treated plastic sheets to build shelters for refugees as well as treated blankets, tents and fencing. "In refugee camp settings, bednets are not always effective and may not be the best tool for preventing malaria," Matthew Burns, research co-coordinator with the Malaria Emergency Technical and Operation Response (MENTOR) operation said. "A new tool is recommended, a tool that can be delivered quickly and protects refugees from the time they enter the shelter." Trials started in March with 16,000 refugees at the Largo and Tobanda camps in southern Sierra Leone. The experiment was co-funded by the EU Humanitarian Aid office, ECHO. MENTOR is one of several research institutions working on the study. Participating families are given six pieces of plastic sheeting each, with which to line the inside of their shelters. Families in one section of the camp receive insecticide-treated sheeting, while those in the other receive untreated sheets. Latrines are also constructed from the same material "The new sheeting is designed to provide not just shelter but also protection from malaria and other vector-borne diseases," UNHCR said. Malaria accounts for 48 percent of all people seeking outpatient treatment at health centres in Sierra Leone. It causes miscarriages among pregnant women, low birth-weight babies, maternal anaemia and is a major cause of death among children. UNHCR said the 54,000 refugees presently living in eight camps in the country were at high risk from the illness. "[Refugee] numbers are expected to rise, with recent fighting on the Liberian border sending an influx of refugees through Zimmi way station in Pujehun district," UNHCR said. "The mass movement of people in this volatile region could exacerbate the spread of malaria as mosquitoes bite infected people and transmit the disease by biting non-infected people." The refugees on whom the new insecticide-treated plastic sheeting is being tried will be examined regularly for signs of malaria or other diseases and treated over 6-12 months. "After this period, UNHCR will assess whether the new insecticide-treated plastic sheeting is successful in controlling malaria and if it can be used in refugee camps," the agency said. Last Thursday, UNHCR and the Sierra Leone government began a drive to register all refugees in the country. Once the exercise has been completed the refugees will be given identify cards. "The census, which is gathering information on the number and bio-data of the refugees will help UNHCR to plan more effectively," UNHCR said.