Assessment of the burden of malaria in the dry season in the savannah of Northern Cote dIvoire

Malaria vector control efforts in the tropic settings are in most cases deployed during the rainy season, which is often mistakenly considered as the only period of transmission. This study aimed to gain insight into the burden of malaria during the dry season in the savannah area. To achieve this, a retrospective parasito-clinical survey based on the collection of parasito-clinical data in health facilities was conducted. This survey consisted of consulting curative care registers and recording all cases notified of malaria (simple or severe) in the population by health facility managers over a period of 5 years from 2012 to 2016. Data on other major pathologies were also consulted. Thus, malaria was the most frequent disease with 71.88% and 62.11% of cases of pathologies followed by respiratory infections in health districts, respectively. During the dry season, the prevalence was 7.13% (05.30%-09.34%) in the village of Longo (Niakaramandougou health district) and 3.08% (02.10-04.33) in the village of Bémavogo (Korhogo district). Malaria transmission in both sites during the dry season remains a concern. Vector control should also be applied during long dry periods for greater effectiveness.