A changing climate is bringing more frequent and intense storms to many countries around the world. In under-resourced countries, the effects of these weather events can be especially severe and long-lasting. In the sub-Saharan nation of Mozambique, for example, recent storms have caused major damage to infrastructure—such as hospitals, schools, roads, and homes—disrupting mosquito control efforts and increasing the risk of malaria.

To help address this challenge, SPH researchers led by Associate Professor Kelly Searle have been exploring ways to help Mozambique better assess storm damage through the use of satellite images that can more accurately assess where damage has occurred, and better inform efforts to respond.

In a new phase of the study supported by a grant from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility, researchers will use higher-quality images from Planet, a satellite imagery provider available to the University of Minnesota. The research team had previously used Google Earth Pro to study damage, but found it to have slower image updates and lower image quality in rural areas.

With more accurate and timely images, researchers will pursue three aims:

• Developing a model to classify and quantify infrastructure damage associated with severe storms.
• Validating the model with direct observation of infrastructure damage.
• Quantifying the association between infrastructure damage and malaria incidence in the aftermath of severe storms.

This award will serve as a first step toward applying for a larger grant to expand the research across Mozambique. Because the data and tools employed by the researchers are publicly available and standardized, the research approach could also be used to study other diseases or applied in other countries facing similar challenges.

The project is a partnership between SPH, the Mozambique National Malaria Control Program, and Navitas Group Global, a health organization based in Mozambique.

About the Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility
The University of Minnesota’s Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility’s mission is to advance health world-wide through collaborative partnerships, sustainable programs, and academic excellence—and do it in a socially responsible, equitable way. To achieve these ambitious goals, the Center supports global health research at the University of Minnesota as well as through its networks around the world.