Nuclear Techniques Can Help

MOSQUITOES!! MOSQUITOES!! MOSQUITOES!!

Has SuNMaP Helped us, Can we try SIT

One of the projects that helped Nigeria to be malaria free is Support to National Malaria Programme (SuNMaP) funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) led by malaria consortium, in partnership with GRID Consulting and Health Partners International.

The programme has helped the Nation 

·         To provide technical assistance for building the National malaria elimination programme (NMEP) , state malaria elimination programm (SMEP) and building capacity of local governments in service delivery and health programme management

·         provided technical assistance to the Nigerian National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) to scale up malaria control, develop research priorities and  national strategies

·         built capacity for more effective programme management

·         trained health workers to diagnose and treat malaria in their communities

Major accomplishments of SuNMaP

·         Saved the lives of 48,000 children under the age of five

·         Distributed twelve million long-lasting insecticidal nests

·         Contributed to the increase in coverage from seven to fifty eight percent between 2008 and 2014 etc.

·         Rapid diagnostic tests and 2.7 million ant malarial drugs were distributed

Thumps up for this programme that ended last month. There are more to be done. Disease-transmitting mosquitoes are on the increase, the programme was not implemented in so many states.

Now that SuNMap has ended WHAT NEXT?

CAN NIGERIA TRY SIT?

Applying SIT-based approaches requires substantial research and customization of the technique to the insect’s biology. ‘Mosquito control using this technology at an industrial scale is still in early stages, with successful pilot programmes in Italy, Indonesia, Mauritius and China showing encouraging results,” said Konstantinos Bourtzis, a molecular biologist at the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. “It is like cars in the 1890s: it works but will need to undergo further development and refinement,” he said.

WHAT IS SIT?

The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is a pest control that uses radiation to tackle and eradicate pests. These pests destroy fruit and kill livestock.

HOW?

This is done by mass production of male insect pests in a special rearing facility, use an ionizing radiation to sterilize the male insect pests and release them in a target area.

HAS IT EVER BEEN USED AND ON WHICH PEST?

The SIT had been used successfully around the world for over 50 years to suppress and eradicate these pests such as fruit flies, tsetse flies, mosquitoes (the carrier of zika) that destroy fruit and kill livestock.

USE INSECTICIDES AND APPLY OTHER MEASURES?

Other conventional measures although seems effective had not yielded effective results to eradicate these pests. Project that helped Nigeria to be malaria free

She (Dr. Nnenna Ezeigwe) said that catching mosquito at the breeding sight is a strategy for eliminating malaria in Nigeria. So she advice Nigerians to

·         Keep their environment clean

·         Stop storing dirty water and apply general cleanliness

·         Apply indoor residual spray

·         Sleep in a long lasting insecticidal net

·         Rapid diagnostic test to available at private hospitals

·         Recommend malaria drugs should be available to Nigerians at subsidized rate

Despite these measures resistance to insecticides is increasing, good malaria drugs are not sold at subsidized rates, insecticidal net is no more for common people, low awareness on the importance of malaria diagnosis, and public health officials are constantly looking for new ways to tackle challenges of pests and its diseases.

WHO’S INTERESTED?

Countries from around the world are showing increased interest in the use of the sterile insect technique (SIT) to suppress the populations of pests especially mosquitoes that transmit malaria, Zika and other diseases

IS IT SAFE?

Sterile Insect Technique is safe and environmental friendly. The IAEA, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is spearheading global research in the development and application of SIT. The IAEA provides Member States through its field projects with the techniques and infrastructure needed to run the programme.

Molecular Biologist Konstantinos said, “It is like cars in the 1890s: it works but will need to undergo further development and refinement,” IAEA in partnership with FAO provides Member States with techniques and infrastructure needed to run the programme

IS IT POSSIBLE IN NIGERIA?

In the past decade, through various IAEA projects, several countries have requested and received essential training, equipment and technology in SIT application against mosquitoes. Nigeria as a Member State of IAEA can request and receive essential trainings and equipments.

WHAT NIGERIA HAS SPENT SO FAR, REQUEST FOR FUND, YET

‘’The programme (SuNMaP) cost 89 million pounds for the period it lasted,’’ said,

Mr. Ben Mellor, Head of the UK-DFID in Nigeria.

‘’Defeating malaria in Nigeria will not be an easy task. It will require a doubling of malaria funding from both the international donor community and Nigerian sources’’ said, Charles Nelson, Chief Executive of malaria consortium.

WAY FORWARD

The IAEA, in partnership with the FAO, has already provided some essential equipment and technology needed for mass rearing to several countries, including Sudan, Brazil and South Africa and has trained several entomologists from its Member States.

Nigeria is a Member State of IAEA and they are collaborating with FAO to build human capacity, provide Member States through its field projects with the techniques and infrastructure needed to run the programme. With little or no resources put together, human capacity building, scientists, entomologists, researchers will be trained for eradication of disease-transmitting mosquitoes.

REFERENCES

1.    Daily Trust, Vol.39, No.57, p.27. 22  March 2016

2.    www.iaea.org