Volume 13, Number 5—May 2007 Response to Malaria Epidemics in
Africa Malaria epidemics affect nonimmune populations in many
highland and semi-arid areas of Africa. Effective prevention of
these epidemics is challenging, particularly in the highlands,
where predictive accuracy of indicators is not sufficiently high
to allow decisions involving expensive measures such as indoor
residual spraying of insecticides. Advances in geographic
information systems have proved useful in stratification of
areas to guide selective targeting of interventions, including
barrier application of insecticides in transmission foci to
prevent spread of infection. Because rainfall is associated with
epidemics in semi-arid areas, early warning methods based on
seasonal climate predictions have been proposed. For most areas,
response measures should focus on early recognition of anomalies
and rapid mass drug administration. Vector control measures are
useful if abnormal transmission is highly likely and if they can
be selectively impl