Maps & Malaria Elimination: To Model or Not? Lessons from Malaria Elimination Countries

Dr. Frank Kagoro presented his work titled “Maps and Malaria Elimination: To Model or Not?” Dr. Kagoro shared his experience in mapping Artemisinin resistance in Southeast Asia and South Africa. He presented his lessons and good practices of how to make maps more impactful. The best practice is that maps pass through a cartographic framework which helps assess the map’s usability. This framework ensures (a) clarity of the content of the map – trying to answer questions such as: Am I trying to present too much information? Are there data I should present before this one? (b) clarity on what the audience would learn from the map and (c) what action the map would trigger. Dr. Kagaro presented examples of how these components can be carried out using different qualitative assessment methods, which feed back into the process in an iterative manner. Dr. Kagaro has also initiated an Ubuntu platform that among other things hosts multiple networks across Africa including on enhancing routine data for real time surveillance and on health mapping.