Table 1.

Characteristics of the study sites

Kumasi	Bolgatanga	Jimma	Lilongwe	Ouagadougou
Population estimate: 1,529,151	Total population of metropolitan Bolgatanga estimated at 147,729	Population: 159,000	Population: 24,000	Population: 1.2 million (2006)
Study conducted in Asokwa sub-metro with a population of 566,980 (2005), which is 30.3% of the Kumasi population	Study conducted in the urban town (population 72,768)	Study conducted in whole town	Study conducted in Kauma, a squatter settlement within urban Lilongwe	Study conducted in adjacent districts of Wemtenga and Taabtenga: two adjoining and contrasting neighbourhood. Wemtenga was subdivided, built up and serviced with all the urban amenities, while peripheral Taabtenga was not subdivided and had a rural appearance
Malaria prevalence of 37% and accounts for over 45% out-patient cases	Malaria prevalence of 22%. Children < 5 years with uncomplicated malaria represented 29.5% of all reported cases in 2007	The peak of malaria incidence follows the main rainfall season in July, August and September. Prevalence < = 4.9% in the population, but was 20.43% in < 5 year-olds (2006)	Malaria prevalence in < 5 s was 14% (2010 Lilongwe malaria survey)	Case morbidity in under 5 years in high transmission season is approximately 50%
Children < 5 years and infants form 20% and 4%, respectively	Children < 5 years: 13% of the population	Children < 5 years: 9.2% of total population	Children < 5 years: 19% of the population	Children < 5 years: 18.8% of study population (1,970/10,500)
Main occupations are trading and farming Cultivation of vegetables and other crops is common	Presence of urban farming in immediate peri-urban areas	Many houses have gardens (bananas, coffee, kitchen gardens, etc)	Most people earn a living through petty vending or working as unskilled labourers while others (30%) are unemployed	Main occupations are: In Wemtenga: Salaried and trading In Taabtenga: farming, pretty vending and working as unskilled labourers.