Malaria surveillance with remote sensing and GIS in Owerri, Nigeria

Malaria vector-anopheles mosquitoes thrive well and transmit the parasite in moisture-laden landscapes in warmer climates. Congested cohabitation of animals and humans, like in agroforestry, near residential areas is ideal malaria ecology. Its afflictions account for high infant mortality and reports of yellow fever; generally in sub-Sahara Africa, and Owerri in particular. Unmanaged land use creates malaria habitats in places with flooding, improper drainage/drainage discharge or flow, poor housing and congested living conditions. The objective of this study is to identify the ecology and transmission of malaria for the purpose of mitigation; evaluate the vector´s machine space and its relativity to residential land use; create the temporal and spatial resolutions of the habitats to identify associated health risks, and classify the changing land use with prevalence of malaria in Owerri urban. ERDAS IMAGINE software was used for land use classification, and a GIS was use to disseminate the results.