Malaria and armed conflict: the situation of the rural areas on pacific coast of Nariño- Colombia 2003 - 2017

Abstract

Background:to analyze the epidemiological behavior of malaria, in relation to armed con-flicts presented on the Pacific coast of Nariño (PCN).Methodology: there was a multi-group ecological study with secondary information sour-ce, the frequency of malaria in the (PCN) population, and the relationship with armed con-flicts in the region, resulting from the country’s internal conflict, from 2003 to 2017, was analyzed.Results: Armed conflict affects the structure of healthcare services for both, the general population and malaria sufferers. The most common affections were to the infrastructure, reduction in the number of healthcare personnel, conservation of vaccines and medicines, access to health care, the inability to do preventive activities and the poor presence of the government in the PCN area. Moreover, the displacement of the population to areas where the vector abounds increases the probability to get sick.Conclusions: This study found an inversely proportional relationship between the fre-quency of malaria cases and armed conflict. This situation could show that maybe the “con-flict” controls malaria. However, it is important to clarify that it could be only masking the reality of the PCN, because the situation that this region was facing stopped the population from accessing the malaria prevention programs and health services, making it difficult to diagnose, treat, and notify the public health surveillance systems. These aspects could con-tribute to a case reduction during the armed conflict period.

Utilization of insecticide-treated nets and associated factors among childbearing women in Northern Nigeria

“…Improving the current situation requires more proactive steps from all tiers of government in Northern Nigeria. The persistence of armed conflicts in the region makes such proactive steps imperative in the region based on established evidence of the adverse effects of armed conflicts on malaria transmission and healthcare use [ 31 – 34 , 34 – 38 ]. It is noteworthy that the utilization of insecticide-treated nets was observed to be highest in the northwest zone which has been less devasted by armed insurgencies compared to the northeast zones.…”

“…Also, the persistence of armed insurgencies, such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgencies, armed banditry, and kidnapping in the region calls for more research attention on Northern Nigeria. This is because the evidence in the literature suggests different links between armed conflicts and malaria transmission [ 29 – 31 ]. These links manifest in at least three possible ways.…”

“…One, armed insurgency, such as the Boko Haram insurgency, destroys existing health facilities by reducing the numbers of healthcare personnel, the availability of essential drugs for malaria treatment, hinders access to appropriate care and makes the practice of preventive measures difficult [ 31 – 33 ]. Two, armed insurgency usually causes environmental disruption that not only encourages the breeding of malaria vectors but also hinders larval source management [ 34 , 34 ].…”

Malaria en la costa pacífica colombiana

“…Esta situación podría mostrar que tal vez el conflicto armado sería un factor protector frente a la malaria. Sin embargo, es importante aclarar que solo podría estar enmascarando la realidad del PCN, pues la situación que atravesaba esta región impedía que la población accediera a los programas de prevención y a los servicios de salud para la atención de la malaria, dificultando su diagnóstico y tratamiento (42).…”