Evaluation of the effectiveness of topical repellent distributed by village health volunteer networks against Plasmodium spp. infection in Myanmar: A stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial

• Published in: PLoS medicine Vol. 17; no. 8; p. e1003177
• Main Authors: Agius, Paul A., Cutts, Julia C., Han Oo, Win, Thi, Aung, O’Flaherty, Katherine, Zayar Aung, Kyaw, Kyaw Thu, Htin, Poe Aung, Poe, Mon Thein, Myat, Nyi Zaw, Nyi, Yan Min Htay, Wai, Paing Soe, Aung, Razook, Zahra, Barry, Alyssa E., Htike, Win, Devine, Angela, Simpson, Julie A., Crabb, Brendan S., Beeson, James G., Pasricha, Naanki, Fowkes, Freya J. I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Francisco Public Library of Science 01.08.2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Biology and Life Sciences; Clinical trials; Ethics; Infections; Insecticides; Intervention; Malaria; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Meetings; Mosquitoes; Physical Sciences; Research and Analysis Methods; Myanmar (Burma)
• ISSN: 1549-1676; 1549-1277; 1549-1676
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003177

[...]a cost-effectiveness analysis of repellent distribution in the context of a large-scale malaria control and elimination programme was conducted in order to inform policy. Methods Ethics This trial is registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12616001434482; approved retrospectively 14 October 2016) and was approved by the Ethics Review Committee on Medical Research involving Human Subjects, Department of Medical Research, Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar Government (#21/Ethics/2015; extended approval #Ethics/DMR/2016/020), and the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia (95/15). [...]the repellent was provided in plain unbranded tubes, and the investigators registered the trial after completion of fieldwork (but prior to the commencement of data analysis) to minimise public disclosure. In order to determine the number of repellent tubes required to supply a village across the study, the respective village authority provided the village population size, and the number of tubes needed to be stocked was estimated by the in-country study team (2 tubes per person initially and an additional 20%–30% of this total allocation for the VHV-led repellent replacement).