Malaria and agriculture: a global review of the literature with a focus on the application of integrated pest and vector management in East Africa and Uganda

Roughly half of the world's population lives at risk of contracting malaria, a disease which disproportionately affects the poor. As such, farming households are particularly vulnerable; malaria is therefore an intimate link between poverty, agriculture and health. This literature review draws together a comprehensive set of interdisciplinary research papers on the relationships between malaria and agricultural environment, with a specific focus on east Africa and Uganda. <br /><br />The paper discusses the implications of climate change on malaria, as well as the ecological malaria risk in east Africa. Opinions are split as to how changes in temperature will affect the distribution of malaria vectors, although it appears that the areas where minimum temperatures are the constraint on parasite reproduction and transmission will see the greatest potential increase. Ecological malaria risk is varied, including topography and land use, urbanisation, agroforestry and deforestation, maize cultivation and livestock management. These local influences conflate to make general indicators such as temperature an unreliable guide, but do offer potential sources of local mitigation. <br /><br />The economics of malaria are also considered, primarily through development literature (household impacts, labour productivity and land use change) and the public health community. Generally, it is found that malaria represents a significant economic burden at both micro- and macro-economic scales, but more detailed research is needed. The review goes on to discuss environmental management strategies for malaria control, as well as the issue of pesticide resistance. <br /><br />The paper concludes by highlighting various aspects of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Integrated Vector Management (IVM), including costs and potential benefits. Combining the two is a recent programme called Integrated Pest and Vector Management (IPVM), developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which is shown to improve agricultural income, vector-borne disease and health-related expenses. Farmer Field Schools (FFS), the review suggests, offers an effective model of participatory methodology designed to empower communities, build capacity and create sustainable change.