A Review of Malaria Prevention and Control in War Areas

Abstract

Context: Soldiers are confronted with a variety of vector-borne threats and diseases during their missions in war areas. Among all threats, malaria holds an important place as a major health problem in tropical or hyperendemic areas. Malaria control in war areas has been deemed one of the most challenging goals of different armies throughout history. Objectives: This study intends to introduce the integrated vector management (IVM) for the control and prevention of malaria in war areas by employing an appropriate combination of environmental management techniques and other conventional methods of vector control. Data Sources: For this review article, appropriate online databases, including PubMed, Wiley, and ScienceDirect were searched up to November 10th, 2014, using MeSH and free texts. Only English texts comprising research papers, reviews, and reports were included. Study Selection: Forty-three papers were utilized in this review article. The selected studies were classified according to their relation to malaria, war areas, and vector-control methods. Data Extraction: Information from the obtained studies was reviewed only according to the year of the publication and topics. Results: Fifty-five articles, including case reports, research papers, and review studies, were found but only 43 publications met the inclusion criteria. The reviewed publications were categorized into five major groups, viz. transmission, symptoms and diagnosis, chemical control, biological control, and environmental management. Conclusions: This review paper recognizes and supports the IVM as an efficient method for malaria prevention and control in war areas.