Insecticide-Treated Mosquito Nets

The coherent and coordinated strategy put in place since the beginning of the century to fight malaria has led to a significant reduction in the global burden of the disease. Of the various elements composing this strategy, it appears that vector control and, in the first place, the massive distribution of LLIN (long-lasting impregnated nets) have contributed significantly to this success. The idea, a priori trivial, of impregnating nets with insecticide to make them more effective, emerged in the late 1980s in Benin. Since then, thanks to the ongoing support of WHO and collaboration with industry, there has been a paradigm shift that puts LLIN at the forefront of malaria control. This chapter summarizes, in chronological order, the different steps that led to the use of LLIN, starting with simple mosquito nets. It provides a brief overview of the studies that have shown their effectiveness both from the entomological and the morbidity and mortality point of view. Finally, it presents the limitations and challenges that will need to be overcome if LLIN are to remain an effective tool in the fight against malaria.