title: Toolkit for monitoring and evaluation of indoor residual spraying for visceral leishmaniasis control in the Indian subcontinent: application and results.
abstract: Background. We field tested and validated a newly developed monitoring and evaluation (M&E) toolkit for indoor residual spraying to be used by the supervisors at different levels of the national kala-azar elimination programs in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Methods. Methods included document analysis, in-depth interviews, direct observation of spraying squads, and entomological-chemical assessments (bioassay, susceptibility test, chemical analysis of insecticide residues on sprayed surfaces, vector density measurements at baseline, and three follow-up surveys). Results. We found that the documentation at district offices was fairly complete; important shortcomings included insufficient training of spraying squads and supervisors, deficient spray equipment, poor spraying performance, lack of protective clothing, limited coverage of houses resulting in low bioavailability of the insecticide on sprayed surfaces, and reduced vector susceptibility to DDT in India, which limited the impact on vector densities. Conclusion. The M&E toolkit is a useful instrument for detecting constraints in IRS operations and to trigger timely response.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Sciences Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: M Mamun
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Huda
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Pradeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Murari Lal
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Lolita
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Chitra Kumar
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Gurung
authors.forename: Megha Raj
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Banjara
authors.forename: Shireen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akhter
authors.forename: Narayan Prosad
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Maheswary
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kroeger
authors.forename: Rajib
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chowdhury