MARA/ ARMA
The fundamental objective
of MARA/ARMA is to establish an atlas of the spatial epidemiology of malaria in Africa. This will provide support for the planning and implementation of research into and control of malaria in any given region, since the distribution and transmission intensity of malaria in Africa are far from homogenous.
It relies on two complementary approaches:
- the formation of a continental database of available malariometric data representing precisely geographically
positioned survey data from published and unpublished sources in 44 countries;
- the development of environmentally determined models of continental limits of transmission risk, in order to
supplement the data collection of empirical data in areas where no such data exists.
This will provide a continental
perspective of where? (distribution), why? (environmental determinants), how much? (transmission) and when?(seasonality).
For the data collection process,
MARA/ARMA has equipped five regional centres and several sub-regional centres with the GIS skills, software and data sets necessary to geo-reference the collected data. Existing malaria survey data
are being collected from published and unpublished sources, through extensive searches of literature, archives, universities, ministries, research organisations, and through personal communications
where appropriate. This baseline database will be used to create and/or validate models which answer the basic questions outlined above.
The maps of malaria models
have been integrated with other data sets such as administrative and population boundaries, and will provide national governments, donors, researchers and international agencies with a more empirical basis for evidence-based, strategic planning for malaria control.
MARA/ARMA website: http://www.mara.org.za
Collaborators
Highlands
Malaria Project
