The Shire Valley Vector Control Project (Shire-Vec)

The NIHR Global Health Research Group on Controlling Vector Borne Diseases in Emerging Agricultural Systems in Malawi is a research collaboration between LSTM, Malawi College of Medicine, Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Centre, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resource and African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP). It is led by Dr Themba Mzilahowa: Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) and Dr Chris Jones (LSTM).

Based in the Chikwawa region of southern Malawi, the group’s Shire Valley Vector Control Project (Shire-Vec) will focus its research on the Shire Valley Transformation programme (SVTP), a new 40,000-hectare irrigation scheme which began construction in 2020. Shire-Vec will investigate how the new irrigation scheme affects vector-borne diseases like malaria and schistosomiasis and their influence on smallholder farming practices. Working with local farmers, Shire-Vec will offer practical solutions to manage the impact of the SVTP across both public health and agriculture.

Shire-Vec’s Objectives

Stakeholder engagement and vector control research capacity

Shire-Vec will bring together stakeholders from across public health and agriculture via the Technical Vector Control Advisory Group of the Ministry of Health in Malawi and will establish a Community Advisory Group with the local farming communities. Pre- and post-doctoral Malawian trainees will be recruited to strengthen the future capacity of vector-borne disease research and control in Malawi.

Disease surveillance to determine the risk of  disease inside and outside of the irrigation catchment area

Shire-Vec will conduct vector surveillance at selected sites around irrigated farms to monitor any changes to insect and snail populations and their distribution. Shire-Vec will study the behavioural practices in the farming communities exploring the influence on vector-host contact due to the irrigation scheme.

Pilot locally tailored interventions

Shire-Vec will pilot novel interventions for vector management and determine their acceptability to the community whilst establishing their value for money.

Integrate vector control into agricultural and irrigation policy

Using the evidence generated, Shire-Vec will provide recommendations for mitigating vector-borne disease in future planned extensions of the SVTP beyond 2025 and other national agricultural development schemes.