Background:

To analyze the epidemiological behavior of malaria, in relation to armed conflicts presented on the Pacific coast of Nariño (PCN).

Methodology:

There was a multi-group ecological study with secondary information source, the frequency of malaria in the (PCN) population, and the relationship with armed conflicts in the region, resulting from the country's internal conflict, from 2003 to 2017, was analyzed.

Results:

Armed conflict affects the structure of healthcare services for both, the general population and malaria sufferers. The most common affections were to the infrastructure, reduction in the number of healthcare personnel, conservation of vaccines and medicines, access to health care, the inability to do preventive activities and the poor presence of the government in the PCN area. Moreover, the displacement of the population to areas where the vector abounds increases the probability to get sick.

Conclusions:

This study found an inversely proportional relationship between the frequency of malaria cases and armed conflict. This situation could show that maybe the "conflict" controls malaria. However, it is important to clarify that it could be only masking the reality of the PCN, because the situation that this region was facing stopped the population from accessing the malaria prevention programs and health services, making it difficult to diagnose, treat, and notify the public health surveillance systems. These aspects could contribute to a case reduction during the armed conflict period.

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