Spatial analysis of malaria risk using geospatial techniques in Wabi Shebele river sub-basin, Southeastern Ethiopia

Abstract

ABSTRACTMalaria is a mosquito-borne disease. It is a life-threatening disease primarily found in tropical countries, like Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to assess the spatial distributions of malaria risk using geospatial techniques in Wabi Shebele River Sub-basin, Southeastern Ethiopia. Eleven factors, land use and land cover, topographic wetness index, slope, elevation, soil types, proximity to rivers, rainfall, population density, proximity to main roads, proximity to health services, and surface temperature were considered to produce a malaria risk map. GIS-based multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) technique was applied using weighted overlay analysis and produced three map layer factors—hazard, vulnerability, and element at risk maps. Malaria risk map results show that an area of 1867.8 km2 (33.4%), 2112.7 km2 (37.7%), and 1181.6 km2 (21.1%) were categorized under high, moderate, and low malaria risk levels, respectively. Results reveal that a large portion of the study area is classified under high and moderate spatial malaria risk levels. This indicates that communities living in the study area are prone to the malaria disease. Therefore, there is a critical need to progressively reduce malaria disease distribution through healthcare implementation in prioritized areas. This study is helpful for further study in combating malaria disease distribution and increases the efficiency of expectation efforts by skillfully targeting high and moderate-risk areas.

Keywords

• malaria risk
• MCE
• wabi Shebele River Sub-basin