Modeling Climate Impacts on Malaria in Tanzania and Mozambique

Halfan Ngowo of Ifakara Health Institute with Sarah Osima of the Tanzania Meteorological Authority, both in Tanzania, and Mercy Opiyo of the Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça in Mozambique will perform data-driven modeling to better understand the impact of climate change and extreme weather events on mosquito-borne malaria transmission in African countries. They will compare data from countries more prone to such events (Mozambique) to those less prone (Tanzania and South Africa). They will use retrospective and newly generated data to model the increased risk of malaria transmission, encompassing human and mosquito behavior and disease dynamics. The models along with enhanced malaria risk assessment tools will be developed in user-friendly formats for use by local, regional, and continental health authorities. Through the project platform, they will train African data scientists and modelers and expand partnerships contributing to resilient malaria control strategies in the face of changing climate patterns.