UCSF

Malaria high-risk populations (HRPs) are groups at increased risk of malaria due to common characteristics that lead to increased exposure to malaria-transmitting mosquitoes. While addressing malaria among these populations is essential to elimination, they present a persistent challenge to malaria control programs globally because HRPs often have limited access to health services and lower intervention coverage. This dissertation explores methods for identifying malaria HRPs and targeting them with effective interventions across contexts. First, a case-control study is used to identify risk factors for malaria, characterize malaria HRPs, and identify intervention points in Aceh, Indonesia. Second, augmented routine surveillance data are utilized to identify risk factors for malaria in Champasak, Lao PDR. Third, the effectiveness of a package of interventions for two HRPs in Senegal (gold miners and Koranic school children) is assessed. The findings of this research contribute to our understanding of malaria HRPs, methods to characterize them, and approaches to target interventions to these vulnerable populations in order to decrease morbidity and mortality and eliminate malaria.