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Abstract
Assam–Arunachal forest fringed foothill area is endemic for malaria incidence. The present study deals with the temporal analysis of malaria incidence and determines its association with deforestation in 24 villages along the Assam–Arunachal forest fringed foothill area of Sonitpur district of Assam. Malaria epidemiological survey has been carried out in the study area from the year 1994 to 2005. Remote sensing (RS) technique has been used to map the areas of forest changes from the year 2000 to 2005. Geographical information system (GIS) was used to map the malaria incidence and forest cover. The study villages are endemic to malaria infections and there was increasing trend of malaria incidence over the years. The slide positivity rate (SPR) ranged from 5.1% in 1997 to 44.4% in 2005. The percentage forest cover decreased significantly from 23.6% during 2000 to 15.4% during 2005, whereas SPR was increased during 2000–2005. The present study is the first attempt to understand the role of deforestation in malaria incidence using RS and GIS in the north-eastern region of India at a micro-geographic level. The study suggests that the area is endemic to malaria transmission. The decrease in forest cover is a serious ecological concern besides its role in elevating the malaria incidence in the study area.
