Roads and Malaria Transmission: Unveiling the Epidemiological Impacts of Transport Infrastructure on Anopheles Mosquito Ecology in Sub Saharan Africa
Nassimbwa Kabanda D.
Faculty of Medicine Kampala International University Uganda
ABSTRACT
Road infrastructure is a cornerstone of economic growth and regional connectivity in Sub-Saharan Africa, facilitating trade, mobility, and access to essential services. However, emerging evidence indicates that road construction and maintenance can inadvertently influence malaria transmission by altering ecosystems and creating favorable habitats for Anopheles mosquitoes, the primary vectors of the disease. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the ecological and epidemiological impacts of transport infrastructure on malaria dynamics, highlighting how road-induced environmental changes, such as water accumulation in borrow pits, poor drainage, deforestation, and land-use modifications, enhance vector breeding and increase human-vector contact. Additionally, improved mobility along transport corridors facilitates parasite dissemination into previously low-transmission areas, compounding public health risks. Mitigation strategies, including eco-sensitive road design, integrated vector management, environmental impact assessments, community engagement, and intersectoral collaboration, are explored. The review identifies critical knowledge gaps, emphasizing the need for longitudinal studies, spatial modeling, and geospatial surveillance to inform evidence-based planning and policy that balance infrastructure development with malaria control.
Keywords: Malaria transmission, Anopheles mosquitoes, road infrastructure, Sub-Saharan Africa, vector ecology.
CITE AS: Nassimbwa Kabanda D. (2026). Roads and Malaria Transmission: Unveiling the Epidemiological Impacts of Transport Infrastructure on Anopheles Mosquito Ecology in Sub-Saharan Africa. Research Output Journal of Public Health and Medicine 6(1):64-70.
https://doi.org/10.59298/ROJPHM/2026/616470