Malaria Risk Mapping By Using Geospatial Technologies: The Case Of Hadiya Zone, Snnpr, Ethiopia

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.