Christopher Voight

Message from the Director
Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC)

The Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC), the control arm of the Malaria Research and Control in Africa coalition, is proof-positive of how an effective and efficient mosquito control program works.

MVCAC represents 61 mosquito and vector control programs covering more than 32 million California residents inside 38,000 square miles. The state’s mosquito control program, widely regarded as one of most effective in the world, has greatly limited or eliminated the transmission of once-common mosquito-borne diseases, including malaria.

The California districts incorporate a three-pronged attack—surveillance, public education and mosquito control—and are providing that expertise in Africa.

Surveillance determines the presence of the pathogen before human transmission becomes epidemic, and helps target control efforts.

Public education includes how to design, set up and manage large mosquito control programs. Among the logistics: financial, managerial, personnel and legal issues.

Mosquito control employs the latest physical, biological and chemical means to reduce mosquito populations near population centers. Tailored for a wide variety of landscapes, wetlands and population centers, the control methods include the use of mosquito fish; sensible irrigation practices and landscape alterations to reduce breeding sources; larvicides; and ground-based or aerial pesticide applications. — Christopher Voight

Message from the Executive Director

California's mosquito control professionals are ready to provide their considerable experience in controlling the spread of mosquito-borne diseases to the African peoples.  Efficient and effective methods of mosquito control honed over decades of use in California can be exported to Africa with immediate effects.  Success will come with the team approach incorporating integrated pest management (IPM).  The results will be dramatic reductions in the transmission of malaria in Africa, just as IPM has so effectively limited the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses in California.—Christopher Voight, Executive Director, MVCAC