Role of cross-border movement on the importation of malaria cases in Mudzi district, Zimbabwe.

OBJECTIVES

Global malaria elimination efforts are threatened by human population travel that facilitates the movement of parasites across borders. Mudzi, a border-located district in Zimbabwe, is characterised by persistent malaria transmission despite a high-performing indoor residual spraying program. No study has been conducted to document the contribution of cross-border movement to the malaria burden in the district. Furthermore, the standard malaria patient registers did not capture history of cross-border movement among cases presenting for treatment. We conducted this study using a newly developed tool that captured cross-border movement among cases with a malaria-positive RDT test at five (5) health facilities and the community level. Microsoft Excel was used to generate frequencies and proportions.

RESULTS

A total of 619 malaria cases were recorded at five (5) health facilities. The majority of cases were females (53.47%). Only 101/619 (16.32%) malaria cases reported a history of cross-border movement. The largest proportion (96%) of cases with a reported history of cross-border movement were aged 10–49 years. The highest proportion of cases with a history of cross-border movement was identified at facilities located near the border. Health facilities were the major source of treatment, 522(84.33%), compared to community-based treatment. Analysis revealed that only a minority of cases were residents of Mozambique, 49(7.92%).