Integrating vector control within an emerging agricultural system in a region of climate vulnerability in southern Malawi: A focus on malaria, schistosomiasis, and arboviral diseases

Infectious diseases are emerging at an unprecedented rate while food production intensifies to keep pace with population growth. Large-scale irrigation schemes have the potential to permanently transform the landscape with health, nutritional and socio-economic benefits; yet, this also leads to a shift in land-use patterns that can promote endemic and invasive insect vectors and pathogens. The balance between ensuring food security and preventing emerging infectious disease is a necessity; yet the impact of irrigation on vector-borne diseases at the epidemiological, entomological and economic level is uncertain and depends on the geographical and climatological context. Here, we highlight the risk factors and challenges facing vector-borne disease surveillance and control in an emerging agricultural ecosystem in the lower Shire Valley region of southern Malawi. A phased large scale irrigation programme (The Shire Valley Transformation Project, SVTP) promises to transform over 40,000 ha into viable and resilient farmland, yet the valley is endemic for malaria and schistosomiasis and experiences frequent extreme flooding events following tropical cyclones. The latter exacerbate vector-borne disease risk while simultaneously making any empirical assessment of that risk a significant hurdle. We propose that the SVTP provides a unique opportunity to take a One Health approach at mitigating vector-borne disease risk while maintaining agricultural output. A long-term and multi-disciplinary approach with buy-in from multiple stakeholders will be needed to achieve this goal.