Operational feasibility of malaria control by burning neem oil in kerosene lamp in Beel Akbarpur village, District Ghaziabad, India.

A field trial in Beel Akbarpur village, Dadri PHC, District Ghaziabad (U.P.) was carried out to test the impact of burning neem oil in kerosene lamp from dusk-to-dawn in living rooms on vector populations and incidence of malaria. Results revealed that burning 1% neem oil in kerosene lamps resulted in the deviation of An. culicifacies from living rooms to cattlesheds. This was also reflected when malaria incidence was compared in experimental and control villages. Cases/000 and Pf/000 were 1.03 and 0.0 in experimental village as against 9.6 and 4.3 in control village. Discontinuation of burning 1% neem oil in kerosene lamp resulted in recurrence of An. culicifacies in living rooms and increase in malaria incidence in experimental village.