This chapter presents data that are useful for assessing the implementation of malaria control strategies, including the availability and use of mosquito nets, the prophylactic and therapeutic use of antimalarial drugs, and the collection of blood for diagnostic tests for children with fever.
Indicators are presented which provide information on the percentage of households possessing mosquito nets by category (any nets or insecticide treated nets (ITNs)) and the percentages of household members, of pregnant women, and of children who slept under a net the night before the survey is provided. Indicators are also presented, for women who gave birth in the two years preceding the survey, of the percentage who took SP/Fansidar during pregnancy by number of doses (two doses is referred to as Intermittent Preventive Treatment for pregnancy (IPTp), and the percentage who obtained IPTp as part of antenatal care. Additionally, among children under age five, indicators are provided on the percentage of children who experienced an episode of fever in the two weeks preceding the survey, whether they had blood taken from a finger or heel for testing at any time during the fever, whether they were treated with antimalarial drugs, the specific drug(s) they received and the timeliness with which they received drug treatment. Indicators for the percentage of children under age five with hemoglobin levels less than 8.0 g/dl are given. Note that the cutoff value for malaria-related anemia (8.0 g/dl) is different from the cutoff value used for severe anemia in the nutrition chapter (7.0 g/dl).
In surveys that collected specimens for malaria testing (primarily Malaria Indicator Surveys), indicators of the prevalence of malaria in children are provided, based on both rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) and on laboratory analysis.
Insecticide-Treated Net
An insecticide-treated net (ITN) is a factory-treated net that does not require any further treatment. Prior to 2018, this was known as a long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN), and an insecticide-treated net (ITN) was either (1) a factory-treated net that does not require any further treatment (LLIN) or (2) a net that has been soaked with insecticide within the past 12 months.
The definition of an ITN used to include another category of “pre-treated” nets that would not require treatment with insecticide 12 months after it was obtained. In 2018 the definition of ITN was changed to only include what was previously known as a long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN).
Bednets that require annual retreatment and the products used for retreatment are no longer distributed. Therefore, factory-treated nets that do not require any further treatment are the only kind of treated bednets available. Following guidance from the Roll Back Malaria Vector Working Group the terminology ITN should be used for these nets.
Roll Back Malaria Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group Survey and Indicator Task Force. 2018. Household Survey Indicators for Malaria Control.
Roll Back Malaria Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group Survey and Indicator Task Force. 2013. Household Survey Indicators for Malaria Control. https://data.unicef.org/resources/household-survey-indicators-for-malaria-control-2013-edition/
The DHS Program Malaria Topics page: https://www.dhsprogram.com/topics/malaria/index.cfm