Insecticidal Hammocks

Despite what we think in the United States, Malaria is still a problem in many parts of the world. This is especially true in some remote areas of Vietnam. A study published in PLoS ONE today studied the effectiveness of Long Lasting Insecticidal Hammocks (LLIH) as a tool for forest workers in these areas. There were approximately 20,000 people from 30 villages separated into 20 groups of 1,000. The groups were randomly chosen as controls (normal routine stuff), and the rest were givven the LLIH test.

After two years, the study showed that the groups deemed "intervention" clusters had an almost 2 times reduction in the rate of malaria cases. The control was at about 10.5 cases per 1,000 people while the LLIH group was 5.6 per 1,000. The significance of these numbers were still great even after factors of bed net use, age, forest activity and wealth were added into the mix.

These hammocks can really save on healthcare and save lives in developing countries!

According to the CDC website, 350-500 million cases of malaria occur each year. In 2002, malaria was the 4th leading cause of death for children in developing countries. Four Nobel prizes have been awarded to various scientists who have done studies on the disease.


Long-Lasting Insecticidal Hammocks for Controlling Forest Malaria: A Community-Based Trial in a Rural Area of Central Vietnam;
Ngo Duc Thang, Annette Erhart, Niko Speybroeck, Nguyen Xuan Xa, Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, Pham Van Ky, Le Xuan Hung, Le Khanh Thuan, Marc Coosemans, Umberto D'Alessandro

Photo licensed under Creative Commons from plastanka's photostream.