Human Health, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe), Nairobi, Kenya.
Malar J. 2024 Apr 20;23(1):113. doi: 10.1186/s12936-024-04941-y.
Microsporidia MB, an endosymbiont naturally found in Anopheles mosquitoes inhibits transmission of Plasmodium and is a promising candidate for a transmission-blocking strategy that may involve mosquito release. A rapid assessment was carried out to develop insight into sociodemographic factors, public health concerns, and malaria awareness, management, and prevention practices with the willingness to accept and participate in Microsporidia MB-based transmission-blocking strategy to develop an informed stakeholder engagement process.
The assessment consisted of a survey conducted in two communities in western Kenya that involved administering a questionnaire consisting of structured, semi-structured, and open questions to 8108 household heads.
There was an overall high level of willingness to accept (81%) and participate in the implementation of the strategy (96%). Although the willingness to accept was similar in both communities, Ombeyi community was more willing to participate (OR 22, 95% CI 13-36). Women were less willing to accept (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.7-0.9) compared to men due to fear of increased mosquito bites near homes. Household heads with incomplete primary education were more willing to accept (OR 1.6, 95% CI 01.2-2.2) compared to those educated to primary level or higher. Perceiving malaria as a moderate or low public health issue was also associated with a lower willingness to accept and participate. Experience of > 3 malaria cases in the family over the last six months and knowledge that malaria is transmitted by only mosquito bites, increased the willingness to accept but reduced the willingness to participate. Awareness of malaria control methods based on mosquitoes that cannot transmit malaria increases the willingness to participate.
The study showed a high level of willingness to accept and participate in a Microsporidia MB-based strategy in the community, which is influenced by several factors such as community, disease risk perception, gender, education level, knowledge, and experience of malaria. Further research will need to focus on understanding the concerns of women, educated, and employed community members, and factors that contribute to the lower disease risk perception. This improved understanding will lead to the development of an effective communication strategy.
微孢子虫 MB 是一种内共生体，天然存在于疟蚊中，可抑制疟原虫传播，是一种很有前途的阻断传播策略候选物，该策略可能涉及释放蚊子。为深入了解社会人口因素、公共卫生关注点以及疟疾意识、管理和预防措施，我们开展了快速评估，并评估人们对接受和参与基于微孢子虫 MB 的阻断传播策略的意愿，以便制定知情的利益攸关方参与过程。
评估包括在肯尼亚西部的两个社区进行的一项调查，调查涉及向 8108 户户主发放由结构问题、半结构问题和开放问题组成的问卷。
总体上，人们对接种微孢子虫 MB 策略的接受意愿（81%）和参与实施意愿（96%）很高。尽管两个社区的接受意愿相似，但 Ombeyi 社区更愿意参与（OR22，95%CI13-36）。与男性相比，女性由于担心家中蚊子叮咬增多，对接种微孢子虫 MB 的意愿较低（OR0.8，95%CI0.7-0.9）。未完成小学教育的户主比接受过小学及以上教育的户主更愿意接受（OR1.6，95%CI1.2-2.2）。将疟疾视为中度或低度公共卫生问题也与较低的接受和参与意愿相关。在过去六个月中，家庭中疟疾病例超过 3 例，以及疟疾仅通过蚊子传播的认知，增加了人们对接种微孢子虫 MB 的意愿，但降低了参与意愿。基于无法传播疟疾的蚊子的疟疾控制方法的意识增加了参与意愿。
研究表明，社区对接种基于微孢子虫 MB 的策略的接受和参与意愿较高，但受到多种因素的影响，如社区、疾病风险认知、性别、教育程度、疟疾知识和经验。进一步的研究需要关注了解女性、受过教育和就业的社区成员的关注点，以及导致疾病风险认知较低的因素。这种深入的了解将有助于制定有效的沟通策略。
