Integrating mobility, travel survey, and malaria case data to understand drivers of malaria importation to Zanzibar, 2022-2023.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Zanzibar has achieved historic reductions in malaria incidence, but high connectivity to mainland Tanzania and imported cases remain a challenge to "last mile" malaria elimination.

Methods

To understand factors driving malaria importation, prospective surveys were administered to patients at 94 health facilities across Zanzibar's main island, Unguja, from May 2022 to December 2023, and to travellers at the Zanzibar-bound ferry terminal in Dar es Salaam from August to December 2024. In addition, digital mobility data-Meta colocation and movement distribution-were analysed to examine movement patterns between Unguja and mainland Tanzania. These data were integrated with rainfall data to explore the seasonality of human movement and travel-associated malaria risk.

SUBMITTER: Muller JG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12587557 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature