Anopheles stephensi in Ethiopia: Potential impact and mitigation

Ethiopia was the first PMI partner country to confirm the presence of An. stephensi; however, the impact of the species on malaria cases and the cost of control interventions were not clear. To address these questions, PMI supported a modeling study which extrapolated data from Djibouti on An. stephensi and malaria to Ethiopia with consideration for habitat suitability, the cost of vector control interventions, Plasmodium parasite transmission, and known detection sites. This modeling study showed that if An. stephensi were to spread throughout Ethiopia into all suitable habitats, a 50% increase in P. falciparum malaria would likely occur, costing an additional $72 million dollars per year in vector control interventions.