Finally, Malaria-Prone Areas Have Been Located in Kenya!

Malaria has been a cause of concern for many countries across the globe. The breakbone-fever-causing disease is vector-borne and its major carriers are mosquitoes. Biologists are of the view that the mosquito which carries the malaria virus cannot travel long distances. That hints that a major reason for outbreaks and the spread of the disease in nearby areas is human commuting.

Humans move from one area to another for the sake of jobs or relations. If that particular area is a malaria hotspot, the visitor will probably be infected with the disease. The person brings the disease back home, where it is carried by local mosquitoes.

Since Kenya has been a major sufferer of malaria, researchers thought of figuring out the major hotspots of the region. For this purpose, research was conducted on the people of Kenya with the help of their phones. There were unique IDs allotted to people working on the research by the phone company. With the help of the ID they could monitor calls, texts, location and many other data for a number of people. The analysis of the data has helped them plot the areas from which people were mostly suffering. After a year of research the progress has been commendable, and most hot areas related to the disease have been figured out. This will help the government take preventive measures accordingly.