Potential impacts of agricultural irrigation and fish farming on malaria prevalence; Does the “paddies paradox” apply in Bome-Ngyenmbo, Cameroon?

As a method of expanding areas used for productive farming, irrigation is essential. Considering malaria risks when planning irrigation has been debated for more than a century. However, as agricultural irrigation spreads to populations that have never farmed, and as past tools in combating malaria (DDT, chloroquine) are decreasingly effective, it is important to evaluate which factors impact malaria rates, particularly in light of the so-called “paddies paradox”, which implies that increased agricultural activity through irrigation leads to decreased malaria prevalence. Blindly relying on the causal assumptions inherent in the paradox may drive leaders, policymakers, and development agencies to overlook the risks of irrigation-related malaria. Instead, irrigation projects should include malaria-specific assessments, which provide opportunities to mitigate devastating disease outbreaks. This presentation outlines several criteria for determining how malaria prevalence in areas with arable land may change with planned irrigation projects. It then applies those criteria to villages in the Bome-Ngyenmbo area in Cameroon where community water-supply programs are proposed.