Category Archives: Malaria

Understanding the mosquitoes is important for malaria control. As part of our research in Ethiopia, we collect larvae, pupae and adult mosquitoes.For example in our study area Chano, near Arba Minch in south Ethiopia, Fekadu Massebo does this every month. This is done through light traps, in-door spraying, and in pit shelters, and from breeding sites.

We do this to study species composition, adult density, feeding and resting habits, parasite infection and infectivity, longevity, and seasonality. By doing this we will find out the monthly, seasonal and annual entomological infections rates (EIR), and observe possible associations between EIR and disease burden.

Recently, we also visited the Gidole Highlands further south. Our question was if malaria transmission takes place at higher altitudes. Information from the hospital suggest that people living at an altitude of 2200 m, get malaria. We found many anopheles larvae and pupae. We shall now analyse them at Arba Minch University, and see if we can identify anopheles species that transmit malaria.

Malaria remains one of the leading causes of sickness and death in south Ethiopia. Recent information suggests that malaria now also occurs in the highlands. Demographic changes, poverty, climate instability and change, and drug and insecticide resistance have been the hindrances to the control malaria.

We study malaria transmission in Chano near Arba Minch, and our studies include research on disease occurrence (epidemiology) and description of the mosquitoes (entomology).

We aim to describe risk factors associated with malaria incidence, and to evaluate the clinical and parasitological response to Artemether – Lumefantrine drugs. Using data from the last 10 years, we shall do mathematical and statistical modelling to see how malaria is related to the climate. In the mosquito studies, we shall determine the abundance, species composition, biting rates and resting behaviour of mosquitoes.

Climate warming may worsen development in Africa and may affect human health by bringing about changes in the ecology of infectious diseases. There is therefore a need to enhance the ability to adapt to future climate change. Malaria is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Unfortunately, there are no practical tools to predict malaria epidemics based on climate forecasts. Such tools would be useful in making efficient use of the limited resources for malaria control.

In this project, scientists from Ethiopia and Norway shall collaborate on a programme to incorporate climate variability and forecast information for malaria epidemics. The collaboration aims to strengthen PhD and masters programmes in and will strengthen international collaboration on climate and health research.

Over a five-year period (2007 – 2011), this project will combine new population-based malaria transmission information with climate and land use variability data to develop an early warning to predict malaria epidemics in Ethiopia.

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