GIS-based Malaria Risk Assessment in Makuey Woreda, South Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Malaria is still the famous virulence diseases to human beings especially in developing countries. The unremitting worldwide campaign to control malaria have been started predate decades and yearlong activities were done in diverse countries of the world. However, the unknown distribution of malaria parasite detection leads hindrance to malaria controlling strategies. As a result to minimize such challenges, GIS and Rs discipline with large data sets has good potential to analyze easily the environmental factors of malaria. The purpose of this study was the new GIS-approach that better visualizes malaria risks in Makuey Woreda, South Western Ethiopia. Malaria risk map was generated from three main factors namely hazard map, risk at element and vulnerability group. Hazard map was created based on five environmental factors namely temperature, rainfall, distance to water body, elevation and soil were computed using Multi Criteria Evaluation technique. Hazard map was produced by overlay weight analysis processed in ArcGIS 10.4.1 desktop. The product of hazard, vulnerability and element at risk were said to be final malaria risk map of the study area. Socio-economic factors was analyzed a data collected from households through questionnaires surveying. The sever malaria risk area were visualized so, majority of the study area fell at very high risk level 61% and followed 31% of the area subjected to high risk level, and 7.5% low malaria risk level. Large household size and ineffective using ITN was more associated with the prevalence of malaria. Generally if all the study area could be supported by the output of malaria risk map, the result of prevention and control over malaria would be better than today’s situation.