Epidemiologists tracking the spread of malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) in a tropical region do not compare the raw number of clinical malaria cases reported in each province. Instead, they calculate and compare the incidence rate as the number of malaria cases per 10,000 citizens in each province.
Explain why comparing the rate per 10,000 citizens is a more valid method for assessing the relative risk of contracting malaria in different provinces than comparing the raw total number of cases.
