By Ibrahim Sorie KoromaFreetown, Sierra Leone — October 2026: As dusk sets in, families in rural Sierra Leone gear up for the night; mosquitoes are a constant threat to sleep, health, and peace of mind—October 6 to 20, 2026.
The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Program and partners, will deploy a new household-level tool directly into the homes of targeted communities: 101,862 Spatial Emanators will be provided to eligible households in the Sittia and Dema Chiefdoms of Bonthe District and the Yoni Mabanta and Poli Chiefdoms of Tonkolili District.
Spatial Emanators are designed to slowly release an insecticide into the surrounding air, reducing the number or strength of mosquitoes that land and attempt to bite humans indoors. Trained community health workers and other health staff will install the devices during a house-to-house campaign. Workers will install the devices and explain what they do, where and how to use them, and how they fit with other malaria prevention measures.
For communities far from health facilities, spatial emanators are more than a new technology; they extend malaria prevention into people’s daily lives and sleeping quarters. The Ministry notes that these devices are an additional layer of protection and should not be a substitute for existing interventions such as insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), preventive treatment for pregnant women (Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine, SP), preventive treatment for infants, routine testing and treatment, behaviour-change communication and the malaria vaccine, to be rolled out in 2024.
Malaria remains one of the most serious public health challenges facing Sierra Leone. The WHO’s 2025 Sierra Leone malaria country profile reports that, in 2024, over eight million people lived in high-transmission areas. In 2024, official national figures indicate some two million presumed and confirmed malaria cases (1.9 million confirmed) and some 2,500 reported malaria deaths. The WHO estimates a higher burden of about 2.4 million cases and 6,600 deaths. Young children under five years of age, pregnant women and people living in communities with limited access to health care continue to be disproportionately affected.
There are signs of progress. In 2024, there were about 14% fewer reported cases of malaria, with 2,023,764 cases and an annual parasite incidence of about 213 cases per 1,000 population. The Ministry cites these gains as evidence that layered, evidence-based interventions can reduce the burden of malaria, but stresses that current progress is not enough to declare victory.
The US government is supporting the deployment of the spatial emanator and builds on decades of malaria control work in Sierra Leone. For many families, sleeping under an insecticide-treated net remains the backbone of protection; for others, the IRS has provided community-level control; and for pregnant women and infants, preventive medicines and the vaccine’s introduction in 2024 add critical layers of defence. These measures will be complemented by spatial emanators, which provide household-level protection at night, when mosquitoes are most active.
Community education is key to the campaign’s success. Community Health Workers will visit homes to install the devices and advise families on best practices, including sleeping with ITNs every night, seeking prompt care for fever, completing recommended treatments, and promoting the use of preventive services such as vaccination and prenatal care. The Ministry stresses repeatedly that spatial emanators can be effective only if properly placed, maintained, and accepted by the community.
The campaign also underscores that malaria cannot be eliminated through technology alone. Long-term success requires sustained government leadership, well-supported health workers, active community structures, dedicated partner support and families who understand and implement recommended prevention measures.
Every household reached, every bite prevented, and every vulnerable person protected helps the country make strides toward achieving its long-term goal of reducing malaria mortality and morbidity.
Installing 101,862 Spatial Emanators benefits residents of Sittia, Dema, Yoni Mabanta, and Poli chiefdoms and shows renewed commitment to bringing prevention into people’s homes. October 6-20, Community Health Workers will visit homes to verify devices are installed and to provide families with the information needed to use this new tool effectively. As Sierra Leone expands its malaria arsenal, the message is clear: layered prevention that reaches into homes, villages and communities is critical to protecting children, pregnant women and entire families from a disease that remains far too common in many places.
