National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania

Amani Medical Research Centre

- Over 60 years experience with malaria research

- Over 20 years experience with testing insecticides for use in IRS and other mosquito control tools (ITNs and LLINs)

- Country wide insecticide resistance monitoring

- Substantial experience in malaria epidemiology and transmission studies

- An African pioneer centre for ITN and LLIN studies

Trial site area

- Coastal climate (28C – 34C and RH 60 – 80%)

- Muheza district, north-east Tanzania

- 5°13′S and 38°39′E,

- Altitude 20 – 1000 metres above sea level

- Holoendemic malaria transmission (EIR 150-600)

Vectors include

- Anopheles gambiae ss

- Anopheles funestus

- Anopheles merus

- Culex quinquefasciatus

- Rural population living as subsistence farmers in village settlements of 1000 – 2000 people.

Research Facilities

Experimental Huts

-Suite of 12 experimental huts

Measuring efficacy of

- Insecticides for IRS

- Insecticide treated nets (ITNs and LLINs)

- Insecticide treated blankets and sheets

- Repellents

a = Mosquito spheres
b = An experimental trapping system evaluated inside a sphere
c = A mud hut for volunteer sleepers inside a mosquito sphere

Mosquito spheres

- Suite of 3 mosquito spheres

- Provide semi-field conditions

Suitable for testing efficacy of;
- traps

- repellents

- lures

- attractants

- mosquito behaviour studies

Experimental Platforms

- Suitable for testing materials for mosquito control in complex emergency situations

• Insecticide treated sheets
• Treated tents
• Blankets

Community based malaria control studies

- Field studies on efficacy, acceptability and ITN /LLIN user practices

- Field studies on efficacy, acceptability, and cost effectiveness of IRS

- Durability of net fabric and endurance of insecticide on ITN/LLIN in the field

Laboratory

- ELISA for malaria sporozoites and bloodmeal source analysis

- Studies on mosquito resistance to insecticides

- Dissection for sporozoite detection and mosquito ageing

- Taxonomic identification of mosquitoes

Insectary

Colonies of mosquitoes in stock

An gambiae (KISUMU, R70 & IFAKARA)

An arabiensis (Dondotha)

Cx quinquefasciatus (MUHEZA, BANDARI & TPRI)

What we have done recently

- Carried out experimental hut trials for WHOPES and Industry

- 7 products tested and reported for WHOPES

- 5 products tested for industry and research

Community field trials

- 1 product under trial for WHOPES

- 4 products under trial for industry

PRISM (Pyrethroid & Repellent Insecticidal Sheets against Malaria) is a phase III, 3-arm community cluster-randomised trial of bed sheets treated with Deet CS or cyphenothrin (Scoron®). The trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy, longevity, durability and acceptability of the treated sheets in comparison with a control over 12-18 months, in 30 clusters near Muheza, an area with partial coverage of insecticide-treated nets. Outcome measures include malaria anaemia, parasite prevalence and time to re-infection in children aged 6mo-10y, as well as mosquito population density and entomological inoculation rates (EIR).



Map showing the study area for the PRISM trial. Village clusters have been mapped as part of year 1 baseline information.