Dakar, June 24 (APS) – Vector control in the ECOWAS region is mainly faced with a financing challenge as well as the absence of a control program dedicated to the aedes mosquito, vector of dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever, diseases which are growing in the community, estimates an expert.
”For these diseases, there is no national program for aedes. The financing aspect poses more of a problem,” declared Doctor Mawlouth Diallo, head of medical zoology at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar and an entomologist by training.
He took part in the 4e annual meeting of the West African Aedes Surveillance and Control Network. This meeting is being held in Dakar from Monday to Friday, on the theme of diagnosis and genomics to improve the surveillance system for mosquitoes vectors of these diseases.
”Since 2009, in addition to malaria, we have other diseases, such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, yellow fever which have started to take over,” noted Doctor Mawlouth Diallo.
He recalled that ”these diseases are not only transmitted by Anopheles which transmit malaria, but also by other vectors called aedes”.
This shows, according to him, the importance of taking into account the human resources aspect which is very important.
”For a long time, entomologists in Africa were primarily trained to combat malaria vectors. It is now that we have started to train people to better train on aedes. In many countries, there are now experts working in this field,” added the head of medical zoology at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar.
He specified that ”these diseases have neither specific treatment nor effective vaccine”, adding that ”vector control is one of the measures to combat these diseases”.
”We stumble on the question of financing. These are neglected diseases. This is why a lot of advocacy is needed, because people know more about malaria [car] there is a national program,” explained the entomologist.
Mawlouth Diallo believes that the control strategies deployed are ”effective”, indicating that the problem that arises is that these diseases have always been ”neglected”. ”It was only malaria that mobilized us,” he remarked.
”Now everyone has become aware that beyond malaria, there are these diseases which are of interest in public health but also in veterinary health. So, we are emphasizing means of struggle,” said Mawlouth Diallo.
The establishment of the West African Aedes Surveillance and Control Network aims to understand the behavior of these vectors and develop anti-vector control strategies.
NSS/SKS/ASG/OID
