New research reveals that rising deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon triggers a spike in malaria cases, highlighting the need for targeted, region-specific health interventions in the fight against this tropical disease. Study: Ecological change increases malaria risk in the Brazilian Amazon . Image Credit: PARALAXIS / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal PNAS, researchers used advanced modeling techniques to examine the links between deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon and the transmission of malaria.
Their findings indicate that if deforestation in a municipality increases by 1%, it is associated with a 6.3% rise in malaria cases in the same area within a month. Background Ecological change in the Brazilian Amazon is closely related to human health and mobility, particularly during economic booms driven by resource exploitation.
In the 1970s and 1980s, government policies encouraging migration significantly increased population, exposing incoming migrants to malaria. This rapid influx occurred without sufficient health infrastructure to manage malaria transmission. Deforestation alters mosquito breeding habitats, leading to rises in mosquito density at the forest’s edge, where conditions are ideal.
Between 1975 and 1990, malaria cases increased sixfold, reaching 600,000. The National Malaria Control Program significantly reduced malaria cases starting in 2003, but deforestation increased after 2016, spiking in 2019 due to expansions in illegal minin.