Assessing Malaria Risks in Greater Mekong Subregion based on Environmental Parameters

* Corresponding author. ** Supported by NASA Public Health Applications Program. Abstract – The Greater Mekong Subregion, which consists of Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and a small part of China, is the world’s epicenter of falciparum malaria. Depending on the country, approximately 50 to 90% of all malaria cases are due to this species. We have been developing techniques to enhance public health’s decision capability for malaria risk assessments and controls using remote sensing data and technology. The data which we have used in this study include AVHRR Pathfinder, MODIS, TRMM, Ikonos, and SIESIP. The objectives are: 1) identification of potential larval habitats; 2) identification of the key factors that promote malaria transmission; 3) estimation of malaria transmission intensity based on environmental parameters. Preliminary results associated with these objectives are discussed.