Ethiopian Malaria Prediction System (EMAPS)
Malaria is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. In this project a programme to incorporate climate variability and forecast information for malaria epidemics has been developed.
About the research project
Completed research project
Funding: NUFU
Coordinator: Bernt Lindtjørn
Main partners: Addis Ababa University
Other partners: Arba Minch University, National Meteorological Agency of Ethiopia
Description:
As climate warming may worsen development in African and may affect human health by bringing about changes in the ecology of infectious diseases, there is an urgent need to enhance the ability to adapt to future climate change.
Malaria is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Unfortunately, there are no practical tools to predict malaria epidemics based on climate forecasts. Such tools would be useful in making efficient use of the limited resources for malaria control.
In this project, personnel from Addis Ababa University, National Meteorology Agency, Arba Minch University and the University of Bergen have worked out a programme to incorporate climate variability and forecast information for malaria epidemics. The collaboration aims to strengthen PhD and masters programmes in Ethiopia and will strengthen international collaboration on climate and health research.
We need a better understanding of malaria epidemiology, with meteorological, ecological, demographic and clinical information. Besides retrospective data, community-based prospective data on malaria epidemiology with local and regional meteorological information is important to model malaria epidemics.
Over a five-year period (2007 - 2011), this project will combine new population-based malaria transmission information with climate and land use variability data to develop an early warning system to predict malaria epidemics in Ethiopia.