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Lowland rice cultivation, women's autonomy and malaria in Northern Côte d'Ivoire |
Cahiers Agricultures. Volume 11, Number 1, 17-22, Janvier - Février 2002, Cultures irriguées et santé
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 Résumé
Article gratuit
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Author(s) : Renaud de Plaen, Robert Geneau |
Summary : During the last decade, the potential impact of water development projects on vector-born diseases such as malaria has been drawing increasing concerns among researchers from the international community. Most research on the impact of irrigation on malaria concentrated on vector densities, levels of exposure, health services and technologies (prophylaxis and mosquito nets). In this paper, we argue that the "host/vector/parasite" triad which has been at the core of most research is insufficient to explain geographical variations in malaria incidence. Rather, we consider that it is essential to enlarge the scope of investigation and consider mechanisms by which factors such as agriculturally-generated changes in ecosystems and gender repositioning within the family organization, combine together and affect disease management scenarios.
This paper discusses how the intensification of lowland rice cultivation in Northern Côte d'Ivoire influenced the local society and gender relations, and how women's status affects malaria's health care system and contributes to the spatial variations in malaria's incidence. Our results demonstrate that transformations of the agricultural production system led to a reorganization of the social structure, affected women's personal income and resulted in a renegotiation of men and women's rights and responsibilities within the family. Women's repositioning resulting from the intensification of lowland rice cultivation led to a reduction of their capacity to manage disease episodes and contributed therefore to increase malaria's incidence among communities involved in intensive lowland irrigated-rice cultivation. |
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