An Overview of the Malaria Situation in Zanzibar

Zanzibar is composed of two neighbouring islands with about a 1.1 million inhabitants in 2600 square kilometers. Both islands are located off the northeastern coast of the Tanzanian mainland. Zanzibar is a typical malaria endemic area. About a third of all blood samples currently examined for malaria in Zanzibar are positive to Plasmodium falciparum. Previous attempts failed to significantly improve the malaria situation in Zanzibar due to administrative problems, antimalarial drug and DDT resistance. We visited Zanzibar in order to evaluate the magnitude of the malaria problem and the medical logistics. This paper reviews the results of the visit, past and present attempts to eliminate malaria and our conclusions regarding Zanzibar as a model site for attempts to eradicate malaria.