Title
Malaria in Gold Miners in the Guianas and the Amazon: Current Knowledge and Challenges
Date Issued
01 June 2020
Access level
open access
Resource Type
review
Author(s)
Douine M.
Lambert Y.
Musset L.
Hiwat H.
Blume L.R.
Marchesini P.
Moresco G.G.
Cox H.
Villegas L.
de Santi V.P.
Sanna A.
Vreden S.
Suarez-Mutis M.
, Unidad de Investigación Médica Naval de EE. UU.
Publisher(s)
Springer
Abstract
Purpose of Review: Following Paraguay and Argentina, several countries from the Amazon region aim to eliminate malaria. To achieve this, all key affected and vulnerable populations by malaria, including people working on gold mining sites, must be considered. What is the situation of malaria in these particular settings and what are the challenges? This literature review aims to compile knowledge to answer these questions. Recent Findings: The contexts in which gold miners operate are very heterogeneous: size and localization of mines, links with crime, administrative status of the mines and of the miners, mobility of the workers or national regulations. The number of malaria cases has been correlated with deforestation (Brazil, Colombia), gold production (Colombia), gold prices (Guyana), or location of the mining region (Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana). The burden of malaria in gold mines differs between territories: significant in Guyana, French Guiana, or Venezuela; lower in Brazil. Although Plasmodiumvivax causes 75% of malaria cases in the Americas, P. falciparum is predominant in several gold mining regions, especially in the Guiana Shield. Because of the remoteness from health facilities, self-medication with under-the-counter antimalarials is frequent. This constitutes a significant risk for the emergence of new P. falciparum parasites resistant to antimalarial drugs. Summary: Because of the workers’ mobility, addressing malaria transmission in gold mines is essential, not only for miners, but also to prevent the (re-)emergence of malaria. Strategies among these populations should be tailored to the context because of the heterogeneity of situations in different territories. The transnational environment favoring malaria transmission also requires transborder and regional cooperation, where innovative solutions should be considered and evaluated.
Start page
37
End page
47
Volume
7
Issue
2
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Parasitología Políticas de salud, Servicios de salud
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85082849067
Source
Current Tropical Medicine Reports
ISSN of the container
21963045
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus