The influence of seasonal variations on malaria prevalence in Mount Cameroon Region: A review

Abstract

Malaria is Cameroon's most serious and complex public health problem. Its transmission is usually associated with topography, climate and socio-economic conditions. The problem of the disease is aggravated by changing climate, poverty, and lack of efficient controlling mechanisms. Also, the emergence of new parasite strains, expansion of host range due to human population growth and movement, land use change, increasing vectorial capacity, and deteriorating public health infrastructures contribute to the spread of the disease. Due to climate and ecological diversity, there is apparent variation and instability in the epidemiology of its transmission and prevalence. All age groups are particularly vulnerable to even mild malaria during epidemics. The challenges posed by seasonal changes on malaria prevalence urgently demand re-visiting control measures and policy of urban planning. This paper reviews previous studies on seasonal variations and the prevalence of malaria in Mount Cameroon Region. Generally, seasonal changes from these studies are highly linked to malaria prevalence in the region. We also present in this review new measures that need to be taken to harness existing malaria control measures and evade possible malaria epidemics in the region and Cameroon as a whole. We proposed future studies which involve monitoring and modeling the influence of climate change and land use changes on the malariology indices in the Mount Cameroon Region.

Keywords: malaria, prevalence, seasonal variations

JOURNAL OF THE CAMEROON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Vol. 11 No. 1 (2013)