Global map identifying areas at high risk of malaria transmission could help efforts to control disease

It might be easier than previously thought to eradicate malaria in some high-risk areas worldwide, according to a study published Tuesday in PLoS Medicine, Reuters India reports. For the study, led by Simon Hay of Oxford University, researchers created a global map that identifies areas at high risk of malaria.

The researchers conducted nearly 8,000 local surveys worldwide and collected information on medical statistics and climate, as well as an archive of community-based estimates of the prevalence of malaria parasites, to create the map. The study found that certain malaria control efforts, such as insecticide-treated nets, could reduce malaria transmission rates to near zero in many regions worldwide, particularly in Africa. According to the map, more than half of the people at risk of malaria in Africa, or about 350 million people, live in areas with transmission rates below 40%, the point at which it is considered possible to eliminate and control the disease. The western and central parts of sub-Saharan Africa have transmission rates higher than 40%, making the disease more challenging to control, Hay said. "In Africa, surprisingly, we found that about half the 660 million people at risk live in areas where technically you should be able to have a very substantial impact and could bring transmission down to near zero," Hay said, adding, "The map is a resource you need to prepare proper antimalarial control and elimination."

The researchers plan to update the map annually and create an ongoing record of malaria control and elimination efforts, as well as a guide that identifies areas that require investment, Hay added. "As time goes on, we will be able to track where we are doing a good job and where we are not doing so well in targeting malaria," Hay said (Kahn, Reuters India, 3/24).

The study is available online.