Background: Describe potential relationships between the Human Development Index (HDI) and its components and the morbidity and mortality of malaria in Venezuela in the period 1995-2004. Methods: Socioeconomical data (classified according the World Bank) was obtained from the National Institute of Statistics, and the epidemiological data from the Ministry of Health, both from Venezuela. For the analysis the annual variation of the variables was assessed and also regression models were done. Results: The HDI varied in the period from 0.6746 (1995) to 0.8144 (2004). An increase in the morbidity rate was observed from 1.01 to 1.79 cases/1,000 pop (22,056 cases to 46,244 cases), but mortality rate decreased from 0.36 to 0.10. Analyzing the linear regression models, it was observed that the relationships between epidemiological and social variables were significant. There was an inverse relation between both types of variables; when education increased the malaria mortality decreased (r2=0.5082, F=8.265, p=0.0207) (Figure 1A), similarly for life expectancy, when increased, mortality decreased (r2=0.6164, F=12.85, p=0.0071) (Figure 1B); when income increased malaria mortality decreased (r2=0.7328, F=21.94, p=0.0016) (Figure 1C); and for the literacy also its increase was associated with a malaria mortality decrease (r2=0.4662, F=6.986, p=0.0296) (Figure 1D). As expected, the influence of HDI on malaria mortality was also significant, with the improvement of HDI a reduction of mortality was seen (r2=0.5917, F=11.59, p=0.0093) (Figure 1E). In Bolivar and Amazonas states (higher endemic states), these relations were similar, being significant between socioeconomical variables and malaria mortality (p<0.05) but not for morbidity (p>0.05). Figure 1 Linear regressions between malaria mortality (MMR) and socioeconomical variables (A, education, B, life expectancy, C, income, D, literacy and E, HDI), Venezuela, 1995-2004. Conclusion: These data reflect the significant influence of socioeconomical indicators on malaria epidemiology in Venezuela, being an inverse relationship between both types of variables; with an increase or improvement in the socioeconomical indicators, the morbidity and, significantly, mortality decreased. Abstracts for SupplementInternational Journal of Infectious DiseasesVol. 14Preview Full-Text PDF Open Archive