Abstract:
Ethiopia is among the few countries with unstable malaria transmission. Consequently, malaria
epidemics are serious public health emergencies. In most situations, malaria epidemics develop over
several weeks, allowing some lead-time to act proactively to avoid larger numbers of illnesses and to
prevent transmission. Approximately 52 million people (68%) live malaria-endemic areas in Ethiopia,
chiefly at altitudes below 2,000 meters. Malaria is mainly seasonal in the highland fringe areas, and of
relatively longer transmission duration in lowland areas, river basins and valleys. Although
historically there have been an estimated 10 million clinical malaria cases annually, cases have
reduced since 2006.
