Researchers Seek ways of Curbing Infectious Diseases

By Innocent Kum in Yaounde

Officials at the launch of the project in Yaounde

A project which aims to increase the scientific capacity of African researchers, supported by their British counterparts, to develop sustainable solutions and partnerships to reduce the burden of vector-borne diseases in sub-Saharan Africa has been launched.

            It was launched in Yaounde last Wednesday by officials of the Centre for Research on Infectious Diseases, CRID accompanied by their partner, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

            Speaking at the launch, the head of the project, Dr. Charles Wondji   said the project will be conducted in three African countries, including Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Malawi with the aim of developing evidence-based strategies for the control of vector-borne diseases in Africa and “increase the use of these data in decision-making at the national level.”

            He also said via the project, a national advisory committee on vector control bringing together all national stakeholders to improve the exchange and integration between national programs for the control of vector-borne diseases will be established.

            The project will strengthen the resilience of African countries to respond to outbreaks of vector-borne disease through the funding of operational research projects, he announced.

            Funded by the UK Government through the Global Challenges Research Fund, the project will be implemented from 2018 to 2022

It will be led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) in partnership with research institutes, NGOs and national vector control programs, it was announced Wednesday.

            In meantime, statistics indicate about one billion people get sick and more than one million die each year from diseases transmitted by insects (vectors) such as malaria, sleeping sickness, yellow fever, filariasis, dengue and zika. Vector control (elimination of insects vectors), it is said is an important strategy for controlling these diseases.

“However, many of current control tools are inadequate or have become ineffective due to the emergence of insecticide resistance in insect borne diseases” a communiqué said adding “...Also, there is a great need for expertise in vector control, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, which is the most region affected.”

            “Indeed, this region needs competent researchers able to develop and evaluate innovative approaches to control vector borne diseases. Furthermore, there is little emphasis on the central role of vector control for interrupting the transmission of these diseases and achieving global elimination goals” it also said.