Environmental and socio-economic determinants of malaria transmission in West Africa: a systematic review

Abstract Background Malaria remains one of the greatest issues in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods This study aimed to identify the socio-economic and environmental determinants influencing the transmission of malaria and its incidence in West Africa. A systematic review was conducted using articles published from January 1989 to April 2025, within PubMed and Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) databases. A total of 1145 articles related to our topic were found in the PubMed database, and 125 articles were identified in the DOAJ database. After inclusion and exclusion criteria, 68 articles were selected from both databases. Results The results indicate that among the environmental determinants, air temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, and vegetation are the most common environmental factors that predict malaria transmission. Moreover, education level, place of residence, housing structure, poverty, and quality of information are the key socio-economic determinants to consider in the prediction of malaria. Conclusion These factors can be indicators for target programmes for the elimination and prevention of the infection of malaria in West Africa.