Annual report, 1981

In the Kinshasa urban area, 51,462 houses were sprayed with DDT; 5,012 houses in an ajacent rural area were also sprayed. Epidemiological evaluations showed that the spraying definitely reduced the incidence of malaria in the rural area, but the effect of the spraying in the urban area is uncertain due to the paucity of baseline data. The health education team has made more than 35,000 face-to-face contacts this year. Examination of 40,000-50,000 dispensary records showed 32-35% of patients complaining of fever or other malarial symptoms; this study will provide valuable data on seasonal fever trends. A series of entomological tests on susceptibility to insecticides were also performed. Training activities included on-the-job training for the epidemiology staff, a 1-week course for entomology personnel, and training in diagnosing malaria blood smears for all except the entomology staff. In addition, field operations staff were trained to collect blood smears and administrative staff visited the National Malaria Program in Haiti.