Harnessing data and satellites for early malaria warning: a global health imperative

Zahidur Rahman; Leonid Roytman; Abdelhamid Kadik; Dilara A. Rosy; Pradipta Nandi

doi:10.1117/12.3012771

6 June 2024 Harnessing data and satellites for early malaria warning: a global health imperative

Zahidur Rahman, Leonid Roytman, Abdelhamid Kadik, Dilara A. Rosy, Pradipta Nandi

Proceedings Volume 13059, Smart Biomedical and Physiological Sensor Technology XXI; 130590D (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3012771
Event: SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing, 2024, National Harbor, Maryland, United States

Conference Poster

Abstract

In light of the profound global health impact of pandemics, the reliance on data-driven insights to understand disease outbreaks has never been more crucial. Malaria is a disease transmitted by mosquitoes that is endemic to specific regions and causes severe illness and death to millions each year. The sensitivity of mosquito vectors to environmental factors like temperature, precipitation, and humidity enables the mapping of areas at high risk of disease outbreaks through satellite remote sensing. This study proposes the development of a practical geospatial system that can provide early warning for malaria. It combines Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) for efficient pattern recognition, robust on-ground environmental data (including epidemiological and vector ecology data), and the capabilities of satellite remote sensing. The study employs Vegetation Health Indices (VHI) derived from satellite-mounted Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometers (AVHRR) on a weekly basis with a 4-km resolution to predict malaria risk in Bangladesh. While the focus is on Bangladesh due to its significant malaria threat, the technology developed can be adapted for use in other countries and against different disease threats. Implementing an early malaria warning system would be a significant asset to global public health efforts. It would enable targeted resource allocation for pandemic containment and serve as a vital decision-making tool for national security assessments and potential troop deployments in disease-prone regions.

(2024) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Citation Download Citation

Zahidur Rahman, Leonid Roytman, Abdelhamid Kadik, Dilara A. Rosy, and Pradipta Nandi "Harnessing data and satellites for early malaria warning: a global health imperative", Proc. SPIE 13059, Smart Biomedical and Physiological Sensor Technology XXI, 130590D (6 June 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3012771

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