Malaria in Ethiopia

• Anopheles mosquitoes act as vectors, transmitting the disease.
• In 2013, malaria caused 584 thousand deaths. 3/4 of deaths where children under 5 years old.
• Incidence of malaria

  Malaria is endemic to 75% of Ethiopia’s land area.

  2/3 of country’s population live in areas at risk.

  Kills 70 thousand people a year.
• Patterns of malaria

  Not evenly distributed within the country.

  Highest risk are western lowlands in Tigray, Amhara and Gambella provinces.

  Transmission peaks after rainy season between June and November.

  Central highlands (1/4 of the country) are malaria-free.
• Human factors

  Irrigation projects in the Awash Valley and the Gambia province (i.e. canals, micro-dams, rice paddies) expanded breeding sites.

  Malarial parasites are becoming increasingly drug-resistant.

  Urbanisation.

  Annual harvest and planting time cause labourers to migrate from highlands to lowlands, coinciding with the rainy season and peak transmission period (June-September).

  Migrants sleep in the fields overnight, when mosquitoes are active.
• Socio-economic impacts of malaria

  Crudely built houses have fewer barriers to mosquitoes.

  Debilitating symptoms cause absentees from work, slowing down the economy and reinforcing the cycle of poverty.

  Sub-Saharan Africa lose USD$12 billion a year in lost production due to Malaria.
• Health services

  40% of national health spending.

  10% hospital admissions.

  12% of health clinic visits.

  Overwhelming the health services.
• Strategies of controlling malaria

  President’s Malaria Initiative and the Global Health Initiative (GHI) to scale-up prevention and treatment in sub-Saharan Africa (since 2015)

  Between 2008 and 2013 Ethiopia got USD$20-43 million a year for malaria control.

  5 year plan with UNICEF, World Bank and WHO for prevention and protection.