Imagine a world where a simple design choice could save lives and prevent a deadly disease. That's the ambitious goal of a groundbreaking study, led by researchers from Penn State University and Warwick University, with a $1.6 million grant from the Belmont Forum's Collaborative Research Action project. But here's where it gets controversial: they're tackling malaria, a disease often associated with public health, through the lens of the built environment.
Malaria: A Global Challenge with Local Solutions
Malaria, a mosquito-borne disease, continues to be a significant global health issue, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and other regions in the global south. However, the researchers behind this project believe that the key to reducing malaria exposure lies not only in medical interventions but also in the design and development of our built environment.
The project brings together a diverse team of experts, including engineers, geographers, biologists, and social scientists, to explore how housing, infrastructure, and urban planning can influence malaria risk. By studying the interaction between the built environment and extreme weather events, the team aims to develop practical strategies and policy tools to combat malaria on a global scale.
Dr. Esther Obonyo, the lead investigator and a professor at Penn State, highlights the real-world challenge that inspired this project. In Sub-Saharan Africa, efforts to keep mosquitoes out of homes by sealing openings inadvertently trap heat and cut off natural ventilation, which is crucial for reducing indoor pollutants and extreme heat, especially where wood fuel systems are used. This unintended consequence can lead to people spending more time outdoors during the evening hours when malaria-carrying mosquitoes are most active.
Obonyo emphasizes the deep connection between malaria risk and factors such as housing quality, infrastructure, urban growth, and extreme weather events. In rapidly urbanizing regions, large-scale construction projects create ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes due to extensive excavation work and inadequate drainage.
"Warm temperatures combined with flooding and stagnant water from construction sites effectively create maternity wards for mosquitoes," Obonyo explains. While solutions to these challenges exist, such as those implemented during the construction of the Panama Canal over a century ago, the world's warming climate has expanded the areas where malaria-causing mosquitoes can thrive. At the same time, conventional materials and technologies have left over one billion people inadequately housed.
Despite these realities, building practices in the global south often adhere to business-as-usual approaches. The research team will conduct comparative case studies in Central America and Sub-Saharan Africa, collaborating closely with community members, policymakers, and non-academic partners to co-create knowledge that can be translated into actionable solutions.
"This project exemplifies Penn State's commitment to collaborative, solutions-driven research," says Bruce Logan, director of the Institute of Energy and the Environment at Penn State. "By approaching malaria through the built environment, we're tackling challenges that require expertise from various disciplines, including engineering, health, disaster science, and the social sciences."
The project places a strong emphasis on local engagement and community collaboration. During a previous Belmont Forum project in Tanzania, residents emphasized the inseparable nature of malaria, inadequate housing, and poor infrastructure. Obonyo notes that communities often understand these challenges better than anyone and are eager to collaborate as co-creators of solutions.
By working with local partners who understand cultural contexts and on-the-ground realities, the research team aims to ensure their findings are both scientifically robust and practically applicable.
"If this project succeeds, malaria prevention will become a routine consideration in building sector decisions, from site selection and design to construction and operation," Obonyo says.
In addition to physical design solutions, the project focuses on capacity building. Bernadette Woods Placky, a Penn State alumna and science communication expert, will co-lead efforts to translate research findings for journalists and public audiences, while professional organizations will integrate results into continuing education programs.
Looking ahead, the scale of global construction remains a pressing concern. According to Architecture 2030, the world is constructing the equivalent of New York City in new floor area every month, much of it in malaria-prone regions.
"How do we scale up successful pilot projects to reach the more than one billion people who are still inadequately housed?" Obonyo asks. "This project aims to translate evidence into policy and practice at the scale required to make a global impact."
The project's partner organizations include Ardhi University in Tanzania, Instituto Superior de Ciência e Tecnologia de Moçambique in Mozambique, Roll Back Malaria's Multisectoral Working Group, Malaria Consortium, Global Council for Science and the Environment, Climate Central, Fundación Panameña de Turismo Sostenible in Panama, Nigerian Medical Research Institute, Kenya Medical Research Institute, the Architectural Association of Kenya, and Ad Visions in Kenya.
The Belmont Forum, an international partnership of funding agencies, supports this research, emphasizing the importance of transdisciplinary collaboration and stakeholder engagement in addressing global environmental change.
