Reducing the Burden: Eradication of Malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa

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2017
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Haverford College. Department of Economics
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Thesis
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Award
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eng
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Haverford users only
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Abstract
Theorized efficacy of intervention efforts employed to combat malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa have been the center of global public health policy and financing discussions. Two key vector control methods that many believe to merit significance are insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying. My thesis examines the question: which intervention efforts and health policy changes have had a statistically significant effect on the change of malaria-specific morbidity and mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa? Using country-level data for 30 countries over the period 2002 to 2014, my thesis estimates the relationship between the changes in malaria transmission and vector control methods through a regression analysis. Results indicate that the insecticide-treated nets exhibit statistical significance exclusive to malaria transmission with a positive coefficient; however, potential risk for endogeneity may have biased these results. Regarding malaria-specific mortality, both indoor residual spraying and intermittent preventive therapy during pregnancy exhibited statistical significance, with negative coefficients consistent with expectations. Other variables demonstrating significance include GDP with a negative correlation, annual precipitation, and lagged morbidity, both with positive correlations. Findings propose that intermittent preventive therapy and indoor residual spraying, less common intervention efforts, have had a more significant impact on malaria-specific mortality than insecticide-treated nets, rebutting the hypothesis that insecticide-treated nets are the most effective of all intervention efforts. Given these findings, further health policy to regulate and finance vector control methods should direct more funding towards indoor residual spraying and intermittent preventive therapy due to the correlation between increased spraying coverage and therapy authorization and negative malaria-specific mortality and morbidity.
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