A cost comparison of two malaria control methods in Kyunggi Province, Republic of Korea, using remote sensing and geographic information systems

Abstract

A cost-comparison of two methods for the control of malaria in the Republic of Korea was performed. The cost of larviciding with methoprene granules was estimated at $93.48/hectare. The annual cost of providing chemoprophylaxis was estimated at $37.53/person. Remote sensing and geographic information systems were used to obtain estimates of the size of vector larval habitats around two U.S. Army camps, allowing an estimate of the cost of larviciding around each of the camps. This estimate was compared to the cost of providing chloroquine and primaquine chemoprophylaxis for the camp populations. Costs on each of the camps differed by the size of the larval habitats and the size of the at-risk population. These tools allow extrapolation of larval surveillance data to a regional scale while simultaneously providing site-specific cost analysis, thus reducing the cost and labor associated with vector surveillance over large areas.