INTRODUCTION: Sustainable control of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa is jeopardized by dwindling public health resources resulting from competing health priorities that include an overwhelming acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. In Mpumalanga province, South Africa, rational planning has historically been hampered by a case surveillance system for malaria that only provided estimates of risk at the magisterial district level (a subdivision of a province). METHODS: To better map control programme activities to their geographical location, the malaria notification system was overhauled and a geographical information system implemented. The introduction of a simplified notification form used only for malaria and a carefully monitored notification system provided the good quality data necessary to support an effective geographical information system. RESULTS: The geographical information system displays data on malaria cases at a village or town level and has proved valuable in stratifying malaria risk within those magisterial districts at highest risk, Barberton and Nkomazi. The conspicuous west-to-east gradient, in which the risk rises sharply towards the Mozambican border (relative risk = 4.12, 95% confidence interval = 3.88-4.46 when the malaria risk within 5 km of the border was compared with the remaining areas in these two districts), allowed development of a targeted approach to control. DISCUSSION: The geographical information system for malaria was enormously valuable in enabling malaria risk at town and village level to be shown. Matching malaria control measures to specific strata of endemic malaria has provided the opportunity for more efficient malaria control in Mpumalanga province.
INTRODUCTION: Sustainable control of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa is jeopardized by dwindling public health resources resulting from competing health priorities that include an overwhelming acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. In Mpumalanga province, South Africa, rational planning has historically been hampered by a case surveillance system for malaria that only provided estimates of risk at the magisterial district level (a subdivision of a province). METHODS: To better map control programme activities to their geographical location, the malaria notification system was overhauled and a geographical information system implemented. The introduction of a simplified notification form used only for malaria and a carefully monitored notification system provided the good quality data necessary to support an effective geographical information system. RESULTS: The geographical information system displays data on malaria cases at a village or town level and has proved valuable in stratifying malaria risk within those magisterial districts at highest risk, Barberton and Nkomazi. The conspicuous west-to-east gradient, in which the risk rises sharply towards the Mozambican border (relative risk = 4.12, 95% confidence interval = 3.88-4.46 when the malaria risk within 5 km of the border was compared with the remaining areas in these two districts), allowed development of a targeted approach to control. DISCUSSION: The geographical information system for malaria was enormously valuable in enabling malaria risk at town and village level to be shown. Matching malaria control measures to specific strata of endemic malaria has provided the opportunity for more efficient malaria control in Mpumalanga province.
Authors: Rohani Ahmad; Wan N W M Ali; Zurainee M Nor; Zamree Ismail; Azahari A Hadi; Mohd N Ibrahim; Lee H Lim Journal: Malar J Date: 2011-12-13 Impact factor: 2.979
Authors: Saul Lozano-Fuentes; Darwin Elizondo-Quiroga; Jose Arturo Farfan-Ale; Maria Alba Loroño-Pino; Julian Garcia-Rejon; Salvador Gomez-Carro; Victor Lira-Zumbardo; Rosario Najera-Vazquez; Ildefonso Fernandez-Salas; Joaquin Calderon-Martinez; Marco Dominguez-Galera; Pedro Mis-Avila; Natashia Morris; Michael Coleman; Chester G Moore; Barry J Beaty; Lars Eisen Journal: Bull World Health Organ Date: 2008-09 Impact factor: 9.408
Authors: Mufaro Kanyangarara; Edmore Mamini; Sungano Mharakurwa; Shungu Munyati; Lovemore Gwanzura; Tamaki Kobayashi; Timothy Shields; Luke C Mullany; Susan Mutambu; Peter R Mason; Frank C Curriero; William J Moss Journal: Am J Trop Med Hyg Date: 2016-04-25 Impact factor: 2.345
Authors: Mufaro Kanyangarara; Edmore Mamini; Sungano Mharakurwa; Shungu Munyati; Lovemore Gwanzura; Tamaki Kobayashi; Timothy Shields; Luke C Mullany; Susan Mutambu; Peter R Mason; Frank C Curriero; William J Moss Journal: Am J Trop Med Hyg Date: 2016-04-25 Impact factor: 2.345