Assessing the role of community involvement and capacity building in larviciding applications for malaria control in Africa: A scoping review

Abstract

Larviciding offers a supplementary approach in malaria vector control, particularly when applied through community engagement and capacity building. A scoping review was performed to evaluate existing larviciding delivery mechanisms and their impacts on African malaria control. A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The search strategy utilized Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free-text terms related to “malaria”, “larvicide”, “community engagement” and “mosquito control”. The databases PubMed, Scopus, and Embase were searched for relevant literature published until December 2024. Inclusion criteria focused on studies addressing community engagement in delivering larviciding within African settings. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 32 papers were ultimately included in the analysis. The studies spanned 13 African countries, primarily in sub-Saharan regions, with findings indicating that larviciding significantly reduced mosquito density and, in some cases, malaria incidence. Community engagement strategies varied, with workshops and participatory meetings targeting various stakeholders to enhance awareness and ownership of larviciding programmes. Community engagement and capacity building were critical to successfully implementing larviciding programmes. While challenges, such as logistical barriers, lack of awareness, and financial constraints, persist, integrating technological innovations and strengthening monitoring systems can enhance the sustainability of these efforts.