Title: Some problems related to house-spraying
Course: Communicable Diseases Part 1 - Ethiopia (Full)

Some problems related to house-spraying

1. In some areas mosquitoes may become resistant to commonly used insecticides. If resistance develops, insecticides are changed by the national experts.
2. Spraying walls often leaves a visible deposit of insecticide, especially when a wettable powder suspension is used. To prevent objections to spraying on these grounds, you should educate householders on the benefits of IRS.
3. Some people may object to wall-spraying on religious grounds; the education and communication you offer is important.
4. The washing or re-plastering of walls, for religious or cultural reasons, reduces or eliminates the killing-power of insecticides; households should know that re-plastering during the malaria season is bad for their health.
5. The community may be reluctant to allow strangers into their houses, for fear that they will interfere with women or steal; this will not be a problem if spray operators are recruited from the community.
6. The insecticides may not kill other domestic pests, such as bedbugs; acceptability increases when the insecticides also kill other pests, but households should know that the objective of IRS is to kill mosquitoes and prevent malaria.