Sad to see this kind of comment from IWMI/WLE, in the absence of context.
The article reports 1 million cases of malaria associated with 15 million people (6.7% of the population, assuming one person, one case)
According to the WHO, the number of malaria infections in Africa in 2013 was 128 million (11.1% of the population)
So what this research seems to demonstrate is that living near large dams halves the rate of malaria infection.
You will find similar results if you look at the incidence of malaria in communities with permanent supplies of piped water. Yes, there are cases of malaria where there is piped water. But they will almost certainly be proportionately fewer than where there is no piped water (not least because cities are able to afford and institute vector control, not least because of the economic activity associated with piped water).
The rather obvious conclusion is that economic and social development reduce the incidence of malaria. Please put that as the headline to this blog, if only to maintain IWMI/WLE's reputation as a competent scientific institution! We certainly don't need IWMI to join the hysterical anti-infrastructure campaigns which will doubtless use this blog for their advocacy purposes.
Sad to see this kind of comment from IWMI/WLE, in the absence of context.
The article reports 1 million cases of malaria associated with 15 million people (6.7% of the population, assuming one person, one case)
According to the WHO, the number of malaria infections in Africa in 2013 was 128 million (11.1% of the population)
So what this research seems to demonstrate is that living near large dams halves the rate of malaria infection.
You will find similar results if you look at the incidence of malaria in communities with permanent supplies of piped water. Yes, there are cases of malaria where there is piped water. But they will almost certainly be proportionately fewer than where there is no piped water (not least because cities are able to afford and institute vector control, not least because of the economic activity associated with piped water).
The rather obvious conclusion is that economic and social development reduce the incidence of malaria. Please put that as the headline to this blog, if only to maintain IWMI/WLE's reputation as a competent scientific institution! We certainly don't need IWMI to join the hysterical anti-infrastructure campaigns which will doubtless use this blog for their advocacy purposes.