Personal protection against malaria vectors

Most malaria vectors bite indoors, late at night, and therefore bednets would be expected to provide useful protection, possibly supplemented by repellents when people are not under nets. Treatment of nets with a pyrethroid insecticide of low human toxicity has a major impact on vector mosquito populations. The impact has also been registered in short term trials of treated bednets on incidence of infection, attacks of severe malaria, prevalence of anaemia and all-cause child mortality. However, the effect of possible loss of immunity, as transmission is reduced, remains controversial.