Anthropogenic Factors Influencing Malaria Transmission in Ngoma District

James Kant Kamuhanda — Thu, 09 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Malaria continues to remain a major health problem in Ngoma district and Rwanda at large despite various measures that have been geared towards treatment and control of the disease. The present study aimed to examine anthropogenic factors influencing malaria transmission in Ngoma district. A cross-sectional survey employing questionnaires, observation, and interviews was used to collect primary data, while secondary data on the seasonality of malaria transmission were gathered from published and unpublished hospital reports and a nearby weather station. The target population included 946 community health workers, 16,521 individuals who suffered from malaria in the selected sectors, and 1 hospital person in charge of malaria. The sample size of 127 respondents was selected using the Alain Bouchard formula, and multistage, cluster, and simple random sampling techniques were deployed. The results indicated that hospital admission rates for malaria in adults were highest in 2014 at 51.0% and highest in children in 2014 at 64.6%. Hospital admission rates in adults were lowest in 2016 at 18.5% and lowest in children in 2017 at 13.2%. A positive relationship between malaria admission rates and rainfall and temperature (p = 0.001) was observed. The most common night-time outdoor activities were evening parties (Chi-squared value 184.068, p = 0.000), rated at 3.57. The primary reason for not owning LLINs was their unavailability, noted by 26.0% (p = 0.000). Irrigation for rice cultivation and slow-flowing fresh water from the extensive anastomosis of tributaries of River Kagera were identified as the most dominant malaria transmission factors (66.1%, p = 0.000). Malaria transmission was significantly associated with non-window screening (92.9%, p = 0.000). General sanitation was effective in reducing malaria transmission (55.9%). Livestock keeping had a significant impact on the increase in malaria transmission (38.6%) (Chi-square: 81.506, Std. Dev = 0.489, and p = 0.000) due to the rising mosquito density. This study validates anthropogenic factors, notably rice farming, poor housing, inappropriate bed net use, night parties, irrigation agriculture, and improper waste management, as the main factors causing malaria in Ngoma district in Rwanda.

Assessing Variability in Monthly Rainfall and Water Balance in Kayonza District, Eastern Rwanda

Thu, 09 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The distribution and variability of rainfall are crucial factors in understanding climate change, especially for regions reliant on rain-fed agriculture. This study investigates the variability in monthly rainfall and water balance in Kayonza district from 1983 to 2021 by using the coefficient of variation. The results show that monthly rainfall varies between 0 mm and 25 mm in June-July-August, and 75 mm to 200 mm in the rainy months of March, April, October, and November, primarily concentrated in the southern, central, western, and eastern parts of the district. Water balance ranges from 0 mm to 70 mm, with higher water balance in the southwest during April and May. Rainfall exhibits higher variability (100-160%) in June and July, while lower variability (0-40%) is observed in March, April, October, and November. Water balance shows non-uniform variability, with the southwestern, southern, central, and eastern parts showing variability of 30-80%, while other months are ranging from 100 to 150%. On a pentad and dekadal time scale, rainfall and water balance are concentrated in pentad 12 to 31, pentad 51 to 72, decadal 6 to 16, and decadal 25 to 35, with less precipitation in other periods. Region one receives more rainfall compared to region two. These findings are crucial for developing mitigation strategies to combat the impacts of climate change on agriculture, emphasizing water conservation and integrating climate data into decision-making processes.

East African Journal of Science and Technology

Anthropogenic Factors Influencing Malaria Transmission in Ngoma District

Assessing Variability in Monthly Rainfall and Water Balance in Kayonza District, Eastern Rwanda