Why here and not there? Developing a spatial risk model for malaria in Dakar, Senegal

This paper assesses the exposure to urban malaria by taking into account the individual and environmental vulnerabilities involved in this infection.Supported by census data and satellite imagery, the variables of interest are constructed and in some instances, proxies are used where data are unavailable. For example, the "root causes" of social vulnerability (resources and living conditions of the inhabitants) are examined as measures of vulnerability to malaria because data specific to individual behaviours are not available. The output of the analysis is a map, which combines eachdistrict of the city with a profile of exposure to the disease, highlighting the potential outbreaks. Such a tool is an asset in understanding vulnerability to malaria and its potential control. More broadly, the observations on "the poverty trap" in the Dakar urban settings question the goals of reducing social inequalities.