Perception of Climatic and Non-Climatic influence on Malaria Prevalence in Upper River Region of The Gambia

Despite the scale-up of intervention, malaria remains a burden in the Upper River Region of The Gambia. Climate changes and non-climatic conditions can substantially influence malaria prevalence, and further affect the coverage of preventive interventions. This work aimed at exploring the different climatic and non-climatic risk factors associated with malaria. Using a descriptive research method and a parallel mixed-method approach, 381 households from seven districts were surveyed from 4th to 24th September 2023. Data were analyzed with StataSE 18 and Nvivo. Descriptive statistics were performed, in addition to thematic analysis, and the significant influence of environmental and socioeconomic factors on malaria prevalence in the region was further analyzed using Chi-square (Χ2). The work revealed an influence of rainfall and flood on the prevalence of malaria in the region, with a significant association of some measured environmental and socioeconomic factors at a p-value of 0.05. These results will provide individuals, professionals, government, and policymakers valuable information for better-targeting malaria control efforts.