Abstract
This paper assessed farming
communities vulnerability to malaria under climate change conditions in
an area of northern region of Ghana, namely, Bole district. The study
focused on factors influencing the farming households’ vulnerability to
malaria especially those related to climate change. It analysed the
trend in rainfall and temperature data series; it estimated the direct
and indirect cost of malaria care; and it determined the proportion of
farming households’ income spent on malaria treatment.
Primary
data were obtained through questionnaire administration and focus group
discussion while temperature and rainfall data were sourced from the
Ghana Meteorological Service. Outpatient diagnosis data were obtained
from Ministry of Health and health centres.
The result reveals a
clear evidence of increasing in temperature patterns during the period
under investigation. It also showed an increase of malaria cases during
rainy season. A part from increase of temperature, total direct cost of
malaria care, number of people comprising the farming household, support
for malaria prevention, information about mosquito breeding and
development and absenteeism from farm emerged as the main factors
influencing the farming households’ vulnerability to malaria.
Furthermore,
malaria care represent a substantial portion of poor farming household
income, direct and indirect cost of malaria treatment is negatively
affecting the household budget.
The outcome of this study should
help the government to reinforce the National Malaria Control Program at
the farming household level and to make National Health Insurance
Scheme more efficient.
Furthermore, a similar study should be
conducted to look at the effects of temperature increase on the direct
and indirect cost of malaria treatment over a certain number of years in
order to ascertain the real effect of temperature increase on the cost
of malaria treatment.
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