Malaria is a disease caused by the plasmodium parasite, which is carried by mosquitoes. It is transmitted through mosquito bites from infected mosquitos and can be extremely deadly. In 2019, it is estimated that 409,000 people died of malaria, most of whom were children in sub-Saharan Africa, a highly susceptible region due mainly to weather conditions, a comparatively lethal parasite species (Plasmodium falciparum), and socio-economic instability. Malaria has proven to be extremely difficult to eradicate, but several interventions have been effective at preventing transmission, including bed nets (especially those treated with long-lasting insecticides) and insecticide spraying, although recent progress in malaria control has been threatened by an increase in insecticide resistance in mosquitoes, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. As is nearly always the case, income is closely associated with the likelihood of both contracting malaria and with mortality. The type of house a person lives in can also have a major effect on the number of mosquitoes that are able to enter the home, and thus on the number of bites a person will receive and the chances of contracting malaria. This is vital, especially considering that 80-100% of transmission occurs indoors. Modern homes with closed eaves and fewer spaces through which mosquitoes can enter tend to be safer, with one study finding that modern homes with closed eaves had a human biting rate that was 52% lower than in traditional homes, even when controlling for wealth and location.

I hope that the data used in this project will allow us to better monitor malaria outbreaks and interventions in Uganda and will help determine which factors are associated with an increased risk of contracting malaria and the strength and significance of those associations. The findings of this project, combined with the work of other researchers, could ultimately influence the way countries respond to malaria outbreaks and how malaria interventions are used in malaria-endemic countries, especially Uganda and nearby countries in sub-Saharan Africa. By the end of my senior year, I aim to have completed my paper and to have potentially entered my project into various science fairs.