Impact of a large-scale fruit and vegetable irrigation scheme on the micro-epidemiology of malaria in southwest Ethiopia.

Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 100968562 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1471-2458 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14712458 NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, [2001-

Agricultural Irrigation* ; Malaria*/epidemiology ; Malaria*/prevention & control ; Fruit*; Humans ; Ethiopia/epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Male ; Adult ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Child ; Vegetables ; Child, Preschool ; Risk Factors ; Prevalence ; Infant

Background: Malaria continues to represent an important public health problem in Ethiopia. The expansion of irrigated agricultural development projects turns out to be a major impediment to long-lasting and sustainable malaria prevention and control efforts in the country. The aim of this study was to determine the micro-epidemiology of malaria and associated risk factors in and around Gojeb Horizon Irrigation Plantation in southwest Ethiopia.
Methods: A community-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from May to June 2018 in Gimbo District, southwest Ethiopia. A total of 186 households (94 from irrigated village and 92 from non-irrigated village) were randomly selected from among the communities living around the Gojeb Horizon plantation. In total, 718 individuals (368 from irrigated village and 350 from non-irrigated village) were recruited from the selected households. A finger-prick blood sample was obtained from each participant. Socio-demographic data from the households and individual study participants were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Multivariate regression was used to assess factors associated with micro-epidemiology of malaria. P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The prevalence of malaria in irrigated and non-irrigated villages was 8.2% and 3.4%, respectively. Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax and mixed infections accounted for 57.1%, 38.1%, and 4.8% of the cases, respectively. Individuals living in the irrigated villages were 2.53 (95% CI: 1.23-5.20) times at higher risk of Plasmodium infection as compared to those living in the non-irrigated village. Age (AOR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.06) and non-use of long-lasting insecticidal net (AOR = 2.72, 95% CI: 1.03-7.22) were co-predictors of malaria infection in the area.
Conclusion: This study revealed that communities living in irrigation village were at a higher risk of Plasmodium infection than those living in non-irrigated village, which necessitates the development of tailored interventions that are both targeted and customized.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2005 Apr;72(4):392-406. (PMID: 15827275)
Ethiop Med J. 1996 Apr;34(2):83-91. (PMID: 8840610)
Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines. 2019 Jul 12;5:11. (PMID: 31338202)
Malar J. 2024 Mar 14;23(1):76. (PMID: 38486245)
Malar J. 2024 May 12;23(1):143. (PMID: 38735957)
Acta Trop. 2004 Jan;89(2):161-70. (PMID: 14732238)
Malar J. 2016 Aug 11;15(1):402. (PMID: 27515696)
Malar J. 2015 Jan 28;14:24. (PMID: 25626598)
PLoS One. 2019 Jan 10;14(1):e0210578. (PMID: 30629675)
Acta Trop. 2021 Apr;216:105837. (PMID: 33485868)
Bull Soc Pathol Exot. 2002 Mar;95(1):11-6. (PMID: 12012955)
Malar J. 2018 Nov 14;17(1):423. (PMID: 30428916)
Parasit Vectors. 2011 Jun 18;4:113. (PMID: 21682919)
Malar J. 2012 Jun 12;11:195. (PMID: 22691364)
PLoS One. 2020 Dec 3;15(12):e0243303. (PMID: 33270743)
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(2):CD000363. (PMID: 15106149)
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2023 Oct 16;109(5):1028-1035. (PMID: 37918005)
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2006 Dec;75(6):1216-22. (PMID: 17172396)
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2021 Oct 18;106(1):283-292. (PMID: 34662858)
Pan Afr Med J. 2015 May 25;21:52. (PMID: 26405488)
Malar J. 2013 Oct 02;12:350. (PMID: 24083353)
Med Vet Entomol. 2001 Mar;15(1):1-11. (PMID: 11297093)
Trop Med Int Health. 2010 Jan;15(1):41-50. (PMID: 19917039)
J Infect Dis. 2021 Apr 27;223(12 Suppl 2):S171-S186. (PMID: 33906224)
Malar J. 2014 Sep 13;13:360. (PMID: 25218697)
Infect Dis Poverty. 2020 Jan 27;9(1):9. (PMID: 31987056)
J Trop Med. 2010;2010:. (PMID: 20936103)
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2009 Dec;103(12):1211-20. (PMID: 19144366)
BMC Infect Dis. 2013 Apr 03;13:161. (PMID: 23566411)

Keywords: Ethiopia; Gojeb horizon plantation; Irrigation schemes; Micro-epidemiology of malaria

Date Created: 20241018 Date Completed: 20241019 Latest Revision: 20241021

20241021

PMC11490122

10.1186/s12889-024-20405-z

39425058