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Use of GIS to analyze the priority to far edge residents for presumptive treatment to control the spread of malaria

Ayan Nandy
Doctoral Student, IIM Calcutta
address: 11/2B Madan Pal Lane
Kolkata 700025
Tel: (033)24678300 extn- 298 (O), (033) 24547433 (R)
Fax number: +91-33-2467-7174 (PGP Office)
Email: ayan@iimcal.ac.in


Abstract
In a graph with n vertices and E edges, if there exists an edge e joining vertices a and b where there are distinct paths of lengths 1,2,3,…,k between a & b, but no path of length k +1, then e is said to be a far edge of order k. If the vertices of a graph represent individuals staying a locality where propensity for malaria to spread is high and edges represent spatial neighbourhood, then identification of the far edges can help to control the spread of the disease by giving priority to the vertices lying on far edges for presumptive treatment during a mass survey. The model in tested on a malaria-prone residential area (New Station) in a tea garden (Ranichera Tea Garden) of the Malbazar Block, Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal. The houses are mapped using ArcView. In the View1 window, the different themes available are:
  1. People affected by Plasmodium Vivax from 1st February, 2003 to November 15th, 2003 (one theme for every week)
  2. People affected by Plasmodium Falciparum from 1st February, 2003 to November 15th, 2003 (one theme for every week)
  3. People died after being affected by Plasmodium Falciparum from 1st December, 2002 to November 15th, 2003 (one theme for every month)
  4. People unaffected during the period 1st February, 2003 to November 15th, 2003
  5. Edges of neighbourhood graph
For View 2 it’s assumed that the death cases every month are random external inputs and they infect all the neighbours who have 20% chance of death if not given presumptive treatment and so on. It’s also assumed that presumtive treatment are given to 5 household a day with priority to people in far edges of highest order. The themes are:
  1. People affected by Plasmodium Falciparum (one theme every week)
  2. People given presumptive treatment with priority to far edge residents (one theme every week)
  3. People died after being affected by Plasmodium Falciparum (one theme every month)
For View 3 the assumption is same as view 2 excepting that people for presumptive treatment are chosen randomly. The themes are:
  1. People affected by Plasmodium Falciparum (one theme every week)
  2. People selected randomly for presumptive treatment (one theme every week)
  3. People died after being affected by Plasmodium Falciparum (one theme every month)
Conclusion: By comparing the themes “People affected by Plasmodium Falciparum” for every week between the results in View 2 and View 3 it’s noted that the number of people affected will be much lesser if priority is given to the far edge residents for presumptive treatment.