VL Liberia Completes ITN Durability Monitoring Data Collection

During times of COVID-19, completion of our activities are worthy of congratulations. This week’s Fist Bump Friday goes out to VL Liberia for their success in completing the 24-month data collection for ITN durability monitoring in Lofa and Grand Gedeh. 316 houses were surveyed and 607  ITNs were examined for attrition and integrity. In addition to the household survey, 60 nets (30 per site) were collected for bioassay and chemical content tests. Household surveys are important for assessing how long ITNs remain in usable condition, providing effective vector control against mosquitoes. The physical durability of ITNs can vary greatly, depending on a wide variety of behavior and environmental factors. The study results will guide procurement and timing decisions for future ITN campaigns and inform the design of communication messages to increase the use of ITNs and improve ITN care and repair behaviors among the population of Liberia.

Due to COVID-19, the durability monitoring the training of trainers (TOT) was held online from July 21 – 23 with 2 VL staff, 7 NMCP staff, and 3 data collection agencies(UL-PIRE) staff, while in-person fieldworker training was conducted July 28 – 31. VL Liberia took special measures to mitigate any exposure to COVID-19, including:

• • Added screening questions to the beginning of the questionnaire to avoid coming into contact with suspected and/or confirmed cases
  • Asking for oral consent rather than a signature
  • Trained fieldworkers on using a ruler instead of a template to minimize contact with the mosquito net
  • Performed all interviews outside and asked families to bring nets outside for evaluation
  • All individuals, including field workers, trainers, and drivers, wore masks at all times during training and fieldwork
  • All data collectors used a new pair of gloves at each household with used gloves disposed of in a plastic bag and incinerated at the health center
  • Sanitizer was used throughout the day, and
  • Social distancing was maintained during in-person training with space between each participant.

A big congratulations to the team for completing the data collection successfully and on time in August despite COVID-19 and the difficult road conditions due to the rainy season. Results from the survey are expected to be ready by December 2020.