Bunj

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of using a larvicide called Dimilinae and baited fly traps named iCatchiae ProMax to reduce filth fly populations and decrease the spread of diarrhoeal diseases in refugee camps located in Maban County, South Sudan. The study is a phase 3 interventional trial with a non-randomized crossover design conducted in four refugee camps housing over 218,000 people. The study aims to see if these interventions reduce diarrhoea cases and fly densities at latrines and shelters. The trial involves three intervention phases, each lasting six months, separated by one-month washout periods. In the first intervention, Dimilinae granules will be applied monthly to eligible pit latrines to interrupt fly development. The second intervention uses iCatchiae ProMax fly traps placed outdoors near latrines and re-baited every eight weeks. The third phase combines both interventions. The control group receives no intervention. Project staff will oversee intervention placement and removal throughout the study. Participants, including individuals aged 1 year and older living in the camps, will be recruited into two cohorts under 5 years and 15 years or older and monitored every two weeks during each implementation phase for diarrhoeal incidence using surveys and local health facility data. Entomological monitoring of fly densities and species will also be conducted regularly. Laboratory analyses will assess fly samples for pathogen presence and resistance. Data collection involves GPS mapping, questionnaires, and biological assays, with results analyzed to measure the impact of the interventions on diarrhoea and fly populations over the study period.