Analysis on the relationship between malaria epidemics and NOAA-AVHRR NDVI in Hainan province / 中华流行病学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relationship between malaria epidemics and NOAA-AVHRR NDVI.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Data on malaria were collected in all 19 counties in Hainan province from Feb, 1995 to Jan, 1996. Values regarding normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)-related indicators including mean and maximum values of NDVI, the area proportion of NDVI values of 145- and 145+, months with NDVI values of 135+, 140+, 145+, 150+ of these counties in this period were all extracted from NOAA-AVHRR images, using ERDAS8.5 software. The coefficients of correlation of malaria incidences and these NDVI-related indicator values were then calculated with SPSS 11.0.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The incidence of malaria showed positive correlations to mean and maximum values of NDVI, the area proportion of NDVI values of 145+ and months with NDVI values of 135+, 140+, 145+, 150+ respectively, but having negative correlation to the area of NDVI values of 145-. The malaria epidemic regions were in accordance with those regions that the NDVI values of 145+ were continuing for 9 months or more.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Malaria prevalence was associated with NOAA-AVHRR NDVI value which could be considered to be use for malaria surveillance in Hainan province.</p>