Background:

To attain and sustain the universal Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) coverage, cheap nets that provides equivalent or better protection than the standard LLINs, are required. While it is essential to follow the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for the evaluation of LLINs, adherence to the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) is necessary to generate reliable and reproducible data that will facilitate efficient LLINs to be speedy registered. Adherence to GLP obviate the need to duplicate the assessment and ensures substandard LLINs are not reaching the market. This study aimed to evaluate efficacy of SafeNet NF® and SafeNet® LLIN in accordance to the WHO Pest Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES) and the GLP guidelines. Both candidate LLINs were manufactured with less fabrics to cut down manufacturing costs, motivated by the need for cheaper LLINs to achieve universal coverage.

Materials & Methods:

SafeNet NF® and SafeNet® LLIN, were assessed in experimental huts against wild, pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes. Efficacy in terms of mosquito blood-feeding inhibition and mortality, was compared with Interceptor® LLIN and an untreated net. All nets were washed and artificially holed to simulate a used torn net. The GLP guidelines were followed throughout this study. Results: The mortality of mosquitoes exposed to SafeNet NF® and SafeNet® LLIN were equivalent to that of the reference net. Blood-feeding inhibition was only evident in Interceptor® LLIN. Adherence to GLP was observed throughout the study.

Conclusions:

Step-wise procedures to conduct LLIN evaluation in compliance to both WHOPES and GLP guidelines are elaborated in this study. SafeNet NF® and SafeNet® LLIN offers equivalent protection as Interceptor® LLIN and can facilitate universal LLIN coverage due to its low manufacturing cost. However, further research is needed to understand durability, acceptability and residual efficacy of these nets in field environments.