Abstract:
Malaria has been a cause of human suffering and mortality in Sub- Saharan Africa, particularly
in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the spatial distribution of malaria risk using MCE (MultiCriteria Evaluation). To analyze and generate a spatial malaria risk level distribution map.
Factors that affect the spatial malaria hazard and risk distribution have been considered. As;
temperature, rainfall, elevation, slope, soil type, distance from the river, distance from health
facilities, population density, and land use land cover factors were selected to produce a malaria
risk map of the Hadiya Zone, SNNPR, and Ethiopia. GIS-based multi-criteria evaluation method
applied using weighted overlay analysis by considering three map layer factors (i.e. malaria
hazard map layer, an element at risk map layer, and vulnerability map layer), an optimum
malaria risk map is produced. The malaria risk map result shows that 36.2%, 10.68%, 27.1%, and
20.52% 5.5% of the study area fall under very high, high, moderate, low, and very low spatial
malaria risk levels respectively. The findings indicate that malaria is heavily influenced by major
environmental parameters and socio-economic factors and these factors play a vital role either
directly or indirectly in the occurrence of this vector-borne disease. In conclusion, 46.88%
(59871.10km2) of the study area has a high potential risk of malaria disease manifestation and
event. The result of this report indicates that there are high malaria-risk areas in the district. This
ascertains the communities living in those areas are prone to the disease. Therefore, there is an
urgent need to prevent and progressively reduce malaria disease distribution through policy
formulation and health care implementation in prioritized areas. This study is helpful as a
guideline for further research study in combating malaria distribution, particularly in developing
countries.
