Abstract

Malaria remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. There are an estimated three billion people at risk of this disease and more than half a billion episodes of clinical Plasmodium falciparum occur each year, killing over one million individuals annually.

The studies were carried out from the month of April to June 2014 in Mile 16-Buea situated at the South West region of Cameroon, involving 200 people and their homes who participated in the study, selected through a cross-sectional sampling method of different quarters in Mile 16 to assess their knowledge on malaria, nature of homes, measures taken against mosquitoes bites, nature of water around homes and presence of bushes around the residence. Through the use of questionnaires and observations, the study revealed that;

97% of the homes are either surrounded by stagnant water or bushes, 48% of the houses are without ceilings and which permit the entry of mosquitoes. The inhabitants neglected the use of mosquito bed nets and the wearing of good protective clothing.

From the statistics of studies carried out, it shows that almost all the blames goes to the environmental factors for the spread of this epidemic disease. Science and its research have worked hard to come out with treatment for malaria but due to human factors, low income and believes only 48% of the population actually go to the hospital for proper treatment, while the rest 52% seek either traditional treatment or home treatment which is done without proper prescription.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Malaria is a fatal blood disease caused by a parasite that is transmitted to human and animal hosts by the female anopheles mosquito. It is responsible for 2.7millon deaths per year (WHO, 1994).

Malaria is prevalent throughout Cameroon with transmission being affected by climate and geography, increased drug resistance, and lack of adequate vector control measures. Reduction in man-vector contact may be achieved by the use of protective clothing, insect repellents, bets nets, insecticides, and environmental management (NKUO-A al, 1993).

In Zambia, multiple control interventions including environmental management against anopheles larval stages and improvement in hygiene and sanitation reduced the overall incidence and mortality rates by approximately 50%. In Europe and North America, malaria was eliminated through the use of insecticides and manipulation of the environment (WHO, 1998, facts sheets No 24:8pp) factors favoring mosquitoes may include the bushes, garbage heaps, swamps, and stagnant pools of water that surround many houses.

The poor housing condition may also encourage man-vector. The study reported here, therefore, has the objective to investigate the effect of entomological and environmental factors on malaria parasite prevalence and parasite density and provide information that could be used by the public health sector for improving it malaria control strategy.

Research has shown that the incidence of Anopheles mosquitoes is highly in the rainy season than in the dry season. This is due to stagnant water during the rainy season. (Titanji VPK et al, 2008) this implies that carefully studying the environmental and human factors and

1.1 Background and problem statement

Malaria remains the leading cause of mobility and mortality in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. There are an estimated three billion people at risk of disease and more than half a billion episodes of clinical Plasmodium falciparum occur each year, killing over one million individuals annually (WHO, 1994).

It has also been estimated that the global burden of malaria exceeds 40million disability-adjusted life years and the disease drains the social and economic development of affected regions. High-risk groups are children under the age of five years and pregnant women, with sub- Saharan Africa particularly affected. Indeed this part of the world accounts for a striking 90% of the global burden of malaria.

In Ivory Coast, malaria is one of the public health concerns (study carried out in the Savannah zone by WHO, 2007). This study documented malaria being responsible for at least 60% of consultations in hospitals and 46% in pediatric clinics.

In 2005, Ivory Coast ranked at position 13 among countries with the highest rates of under-five mortality, and estimates at the time suggested only 4% of children less than five years of age slept under an ITN (Insecticides Treated Nets). In this present study, small-scale patterns and special risks factors of the prevalence of Plasmodium Falciparum among school children in a royal part of western Ivory Coast were explode using Bayesian geostatistical models.

Also, report has showed that human and environmental risk factors play a rule in more than80% of the disease (WHO, 2007). Globally, one quarter of all deaths and of the total disease burden can be attributed to the environmental and human factors. Studying the environmental and human factors will therefore reduce the spread of malaria and mortality rate especially in children and pregnant women.

1.2 Purpose and Objectives

The main objective of this objection is to examine the human and environmental factors that are influencing the spread of malaria and to make proposals in order to control the spread of malaria in mile 16.

1.3 Research Question

In order to meet the objective stated above, this study seeks to give answers to the following questions;

What are the environmental and human factors that contribute to the spread of malaria in mile 16 and how is the population’s attitude towards these factors?

1.4 Research Hypothesis 

H0: Environmental factors do not influence the proliferation of the malaria vector or spread of malaria in mile 16.