Malaria in gold-mining areas in Colombia

Abstract

Gold-mining may play an important role in the maintenance of malaria worldwide. Gold-mining, mostly illegal, has significantly expanded in Colombia during the last decade in areas with limited health care and disease prevention. We report a descriptive study that was carried out to determine the malaria prevalence in gold-mining areas of Colombia, using data from the public health surveillance system (National Health Institute) during the period 2010-2013. Gold-mining was more prevalent in the departments of Antioquia, Córdoba, Bolívar, Chocó, Nariño, Cauca, and Valle, which contributed 89.3% (270,753 cases) of the national malaria incidence from 2010-2013 and 31.6% of malaria cases were from mining areas. Mining regions, such as El Bagre, Zaragoza, and Segovia, in Antioquia, Puerto Libertador and Montelíbano, in Córdoba, and Buenaventura, in Valle del Cauca, were the most endemic areas. The annual parasite index (API) correlated with gold production (R2 0.82, p < 0.0001); for every 100 kg of gold produced, the API increased by 0.54 cases per 1,000 inhabitants. Lack of malaria control activities, together with high migration and proliferation of mosquito breeding sites, contribute to malaria in gold-mining regions. Specific control activities must be introduced to control this significant source of malaria in Colombia.

Malaria in Gold Miners in the Guianas and the Amazon: Current Knowledge and Challenges

“…In Colombia, 69% of the variation in the number of malaria cases between 2010 and 2013 was linked to gold production. Two groups of mining districts were identified: those with high gold production methods, large numbers of malaria cases and high APIs, and those with low gold production and a low number of malaria cases [5]. A similar conclusion was found in Madre de Dios region in Peru in 2001-2012, where the number of malaria cases per month had a strong association with the amount of extracted gold, but a weak association with the average gold prices [13].…”

“…The Amazonian subsoil is rich in gold, especially in the Guiana Shield. While this wealth can be a factor of economic growth, the exploitation of this subsoil generally benefits few people and has large negative effects on the environment, society, and health [5].…”

“…Indeed, gold mining favors the proliferation of malaria vectors through deforestation, although this can be reversed in the event of massive deforestation by destroying the ecosystem of certain vectors [20,[25][26][27]. Different species of Anopheles incriminated in malaria transmission are found in gold mining areas, mainly A. darlingi, A. marajoara, A. nuneztovari, and A. albimanus [5,20,28]. Gold miners work and live outdoors, often in camps without walls, and are thus exposed to mosquito bites for long periods of time, by day and at night [8,29].…”

“…In Brazilian municipalities where mining is a central economic activity, malaria appeared as an occupational disease especially in young men [34]. In Colombia, 89.3% of malaria cases originated from the six regions with the highest gold mining activity [5,35]. In Peru, until 2015, health facilities located in areas of intense illegal gold mining (Madre de Dios region) reported 30 times more malaria cases than those in non-mining areas [13,36].…”

Environmental Determinants of Malaria Transmission Around the Koka Reservoir in Ethiopia

“…Some 160 to 320 new large dams are estimated to be constructed annually around the world, a high percentage of which are now in African countries (International-Rivers, 2010;World Commission on Dams, 2000), where more than 90% of the world's malaria burden occurs. Reservoirs behind dams provide breeding sites for Anopheles mosquitoes-vector of malaria-and makes malaria transmission more likely (Castellanos et al, 2016;Jobin, 1999;Keiser et al, 2005;Kibret et al, 2009Kibret et al, , 2015Pommier de Santi et al, 2016;Sow et al, 2002;U.S. Public Health Service Tennessee Valley Authority, 1949;Yewhalaw et al, 2009).…”