In sub-Saharan Africa, most transmission of mosquito-transmitted diseases, such as malaria or dengue, occurs within or around houses. Preventing mosquito house entry and reducing mosquito production around the home would help reduce the transmission of these diseases. Based on recent research, we make key recommendations for reducing the threat of mosquito-transmitted diseases through changes to the built environment. The mnemonic, DELIVER, recommends the following best practices: (i) Doors should be screened, self-closing and without surrounding gaps; (ii) Eaves, the space between the wall and roof, should be closed or screened; (iii) houses should be Lifted above the ground; (iv) Insecticide-treated nets should be used when sleeping in houses at night; (v) houses should be Ventilated, with at least two large-screened windows to facilitate airflow; (vi) Environmental management should be conducted regularly inside and around the home; and (vii) Roofs should be solid, rather than thatch. DELIVER is a package of interventions to be used in combination for maximum impact. Simple changes to the built environment will reduce exposure to mosquito-transmitted diseases and help keep regions free from these diseases after elimination.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Novel control strategies for mosquito-borne diseases'.

在撒哈拉以南非洲，大多数蚊媒疾病（如疟疾或登革热）的传播发生在房屋内或房屋周围。防止蚊子进入房屋并减少家中蚊子的产生将有助于减少这些疾病的传播。根据最近的研究，我们提出了通过改变建筑环境来减少蚊子传播疾病威胁的关键建议。助记符DELIVER推荐以下最佳做法： (i)门应经过屏蔽、自动关闭且周围没有间隙；(ii)屋檐，即墙壁和屋顶之间的空间，应封闭或屏蔽；(iii) 房屋应升离地面；(四)我晚上在屋子里睡觉时，应使用经过杀虫剂处理的蚊帐；(v) 房屋应采用V 型通风，至少有两个大屏风窗户以促进空气流通；(vi)应定期在家庭内部和周围进行环境管理；(vii)屋顶应该是实心的，而不是茅草。DELIVER是一揽子干预措施，可组合使用以获得最大影响。对建筑环境的简单改变将减少蚊子传播疾病的暴露，并有助于在消除这些疾病后保持地区免受这些疾病的影响。

本文是主题问题“蚊媒疾病的新控制策略”的一部分。