February 2010

The Use of Mobile Phone Data for the Estimation of the Travel Patterns and Imported Plasmodium falciparum Rates Among Zanzibar Residents

Researchers have recently tested the use of anonymous mobile phone data to estimate the travel patterns of residents traveling to and from the islands of Zanzibar in an effort to quantify the level of importation risk and the feasibility of elimination. As mobile phone usage continues to increase globally, this novel data source has important potential for assessing the feasibility of malaria elimination, and can be used in the strategic planning of elimination campaigns.