It is important to better understand human behavior patterns where malaria is endemic and how these behaviors affect human-mosquito contact. This study aims to understand where people are located during peak Anopheline biting times in Solomon Island villages and to also look at villager mobility and sleeping behaviors.
Structured questionnaires along with a daily movement diary completed by household heads were conducted for 16 households in the villages of Haleta (n=8, Central Province) and Tugunivilli (n=8, Western Province) over a period of 14 days in each village recording information from a total of 86 participants.
Locations of importance during peak Anopheline biting (6-8pm) are ‘kitchen’, ‘verandah’ and ‘outside house’ all areas that are not mosquito proof. Each villager spends an average of 1 night away from the village every 14 nights indicating regular inter-village movement. Most people do sleep in the bedroom (92%) and under a bed net (84%) demonstrating relative high compliance with the current principle vector control strategy.
Locations of greatest vulnerabilities to receiving mosquito bites and possible malaria infection for villagers in the Solomon Islands is the ‘veranda’, ‘kitchen’ and ‘outside home’ areas. These areas are therefore also the greatest opportunity for new novel vector control tools such as spatial repellents or insecticide-treated walls.