Abstract
BackgroundThe transmission of malaria is the leading public health problem in Ethiopia. From the total area of Ethiopia, more than 75% is malarious. The aim of this study was to identify socio-economic, geographic and demographic risk factors of malaria based on the rapid diagnosis test (RDT) survey results and produce the prevalence map of the area illustrating variation in malaria risk.MethodsThis study accounts for spatial correlation in assessing the effects of socio- economic, demographic and geographic factors on the prevalence of malaria in Ethiopia. A total of 224 clusters of about 25 households each were selected from the Amhara, Oromiya and Southern Nation Nationalities and People’s (SNNP) regions of Ethiopia. A generalized linear mixed model with spatial covariance structure was used to analyse the data where the response variable was the presence or absence of malaria using the RDT.ResultsThe results showed that households in the SNNP region were found to be at more risk than Amhara and Oromiya regions. Moreover, households which have toilet facilities clean drinking water, and a greater number of rooms and mosquito nets in the rooms, have less chance of having household members testing positive for RDT. Moreover, from this study, it can be suggested that incorporating spatial variability is necessary for understanding and devising the most appropriate strategies to reduce the risk of malaria.
Highlights
The transmission of malaria is the leading public health problem in Ethiopia
With 68% of the total population of Ethiopia living in areas at risk of malaria [3], it is a major public health problem and for many years the prime cause of illness and death [3,4]
The objective of this study is to undertake statistical analysis of malaria incidence to identify important socio-economic, demographic and geographic variables associated with the disease and to produce prevalence maps of the area illustrating the variation in malaria risk using spatial statistics analysis
Summary
The transmission of malaria is the leading public health problem in Ethiopia. Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Africa, especially in sub-Saharan African countries [1]. It is a leading cause of death amongst children in many African countries [2]. With 68% of the total population of Ethiopia living in areas at risk of malaria [3], it is a major public health problem and for many years the prime cause of illness and death [3,4]. From the total population of Ethiopia (77,127,000 in 2007), more than 50 million people are at risk from malaria [5]. 4–5 million people are affected by malaria annually [6,7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
