The cost of routine Aedes aegypti control and of insecticide-treated curtain implementation.

Insecticide-treated curtains (ITCs) are promoted for controlling the Dengue vector Aedes aegypti. We assessed the cost of the routine Aedes control program (RACP) and the cost of ITC implementation through the RACP and health committees in Venezuela and through health volunteers in Thailand. The yearly cost of the RACP per household amounted to US$2.14 and $1.89, respectively. The ITC implementation cost over three times more, depending on the channel used. In Venezuela the RACP was the most efficient implementation-channel. It spent US$1.90 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.83; 1.97) per curtain distributed, of which 76.9% for the curtain itself. Implementation by health committees cost significantly (P = 0.02) more: US$2.32 (95% CI: 1.93; 2.61) of which 63% for the curtain. For ITC implementation to be at least as cost-effective as the RACP, at equal effectiveness and actual ITC prices, the attained curtain coverage and the adulticiding effect should last for 3 years.

Occupational health education and collaboration for reducing the risk of lead poisoning of workers in a battery manufacturing plant in Thailand.

We provided occupational health education as training to all workers (N=31) and managers, and collaborated with them against reducing the risk of lead poisoning of workers at an assembly section in a battery manufacturing plant in Bangkok, Thailand in 2002. After occupational health education, many workers (80.6-100.0%) noticed and understood the toxicity of lead and the importance of protection against it. Many workers regularly wore long sleeved shirt and trousers, and used the appropriate mask all day long. They changed the attitude toward their work and improved personal hygiene, for example no smoking in the workplace, washing their hands by a detergent before drinking water or having lunch, and taking a bath after the work. They especially took off working clothes at an office outside the workplace and washed them everyday. The average blood lead level of the workers significantly (P=0.002) reduced from 32.7 microg/dl to 22.4 microg/dl, although airborne lead level in the workplace remained unchanged with before conditions. From these results occupational health education and collaboration between workers and managers were effective tools to reduce the risk of lead poisoning of workers in a battery manufacturing plant.