Diriba Dechasa, Karuppannan Shankar, Regasa Teferi, Kasahun Melion
Department of Geology, College of Natural and Computational Science, Dilla University, P.O. Box: 419, Dilla, Ethiopia.
Department of Applied Geology, College of Applied Natural Science, Adama Science and Technology University, P.O. Box: 1888, Adama, Ethiopia.
Int J Health Geogr. 2024 Dec 19;23(1):27. doi: 10.1186/s12942-024-00386-3.
Malaria is a major public health issue in Nekemte City, western Ethiopia, with various environmental and social factors influencing transmission patterns. Effective control and prevention strategies require precise identification of high-risk areas. This study aims to map malaria risk zones in Nekemte City using geospatial technologies, including remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to support targeted interventions and resource allocation.
The study integrated environmental and social factors to assess malaria risk in the city. Environmental factors, including climatic and geographic characteristics, such as elevation, rainfall patterns, temperature, slope, and proximity to river, were selected based on experts' opinions and literature review. These factors were weighted using the analytic hierarchy process according to their relative influence on malaria hazard susceptibility. Social factors considered within the GIS framework focused on human settlements and access to resources. These included population density, proximity to health facilities, and proximity to roads. The malaria risk analysis incorporated hazard and vulnerability layers, along with Land use/cover (LULC) data. A weighted overlay analysis method combined these layers and generate the final malaria risk map.
The malaria risk map identified that 18.2% (10.5 km) of the study area was at very high risk, 18.8% (10.9 km) at high risk, 30.4% (17.8 km) at moderate risk, 19.8% (11.5 km) at low risk, and 12.6% (7.3 km) at very low risk. A combined 37% (21.4 km) of Nekemte City was classified as at high to very high malaria risk, highlighting key areas for intervention.
This malaria risk map offers a valuable tool for malaria control and elimination efforts in Nekemte City. By identifying high-risk areas, the map provides actionable insights that can guide local health strategies, optimize resource distribution, and improve the efficiency of interventions. These findings contribute to enhanced public health planning and can support future regional malaria control initiatives.
疟疾是埃塞俄比亚西部内克姆特市的一个主要公共卫生问题，各种环境和社会因素影响着传播模式。有效的控制和预防策略需要精确识别高风险区域。本研究旨在利用地理空间技术，包括遥感和地理信息系统（GIS），绘制内克姆特市的疟疾风险区图，以支持有针对性的干预措施和资源分配。
该研究综合了环境和社会因素来评估该市的疟疾风险。基于专家意见和文献综述，选择了环境因素，包括气候和地理特征，如海拔、降雨模式、温度、坡度以及与河流的距离。根据这些因素对疟疾易感性的相对影响，使用层次分析法对其进行加权。在GIS框架内考虑的社会因素侧重于人类住区和资源获取情况。这些因素包括人口密度、与卫生设施的距离以及与道路的距离。疟疾风险分析纳入了危害和脆弱性图层以及土地利用/覆盖（LULC）数据。加权叠加分析方法将这些图层合并，生成最终的疟疾风险地图。
疟疾风险地图显示，研究区域的18.2%（10.5平方公里）处于极高风险，18.8%（10.9平方公里）处于高风险，30.4%（17.8平方公里）处于中度风险，19.8%（11.5平方公里）处于低风险，12.6%（7.3平方公里）处于极低风险。内克姆特市总计37%（21.4平方公里）被归类为疟疾高风险至极高风险，突出了关键干预区域。
这一疟疾风险地图为内克姆特市的疟疾控制和消除工作提供了一个有价值的工具。通过识别高风险区域，该地图提供了可采取行动的见解，可指导当地卫生策略、优化资源分配并提高干预措施的效率。这些研究结果有助于加强公共卫生规划，并可为未来的区域疟疾控制倡议提供支持。
