Dynamics of Environmental Conditions and Persistence of Malaria, a Tropical Disease in the City of Koudougou in Burkina Faso

Malaria is one of the oldest diseases in human history. The first scientific knowledge about this epidemic dates back to Hippocrates (5thcentury BC). The discovery of Plasmodium, the parasite responsible for malaria, by Alphonse Laveran in 1880 opened up a new and more dynamic front in the fight against this disease. However, socio-environmental factors were largely overlooked in the fight against the disease. This study therefore focuses on the socio-environmental determinants causing the emergence and persistence of malaria in the city of Koudougou. Very few studies have examined the relationship between malaria and the urban environment in medium-sized cities in Burkina Faso. The methodological approach of this research is based on a literature review and field surveys of 372 households in three (03) sectors of the city of Koudougou. The processing method used is essentially based on descriptive statistical analyses. This work shows that socio-environmental factors maintain the morbidity of this disease in the city of Koudougou, based on the results of the surveys compared with data from local health facilities. Indeed, 30% of those surveyed live less than 500 metres from a waste dump and 24% of the same respondents acknowledge the existence of a water source or flood zone near their homes.