MARCAD postdoctoral fellows Drs Ousmane Sy and Benoît Sessinou Assogba present their research results and discoveries

MARCAD Postdoctoral Fellows,  Dr Ousmane Sy and Dr Benoît Sessinou Assogba, have celebrated the World Malaria Day 2021 by presenting some of their recent  research results and discoveries made within their MARCAD fellowship. Dr Sy and Dr Assogba have exposed these new data that could support the Malaria elimination during the joint webinar organised on 5^th May 2021   by Senegal and The Gambia NMCPs, the University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, The University of Thies, the MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, LSHTM Malaria Center and MMV.

120 participants attended the virtual event. The MARCAD Fellows participated in the session entitled “Innovative tools to support malaria elimination in Senegambia“chaired by Prof Jean Louis Abdourahim Ndiaye, in charge of Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) in MARCAD programme and member of the webinar committee organization. They took advantage of the virtual scientific meeting to share their results and discoveries through their MARCAD research project.

“My presentation was about how to target Anopheles gambiae s.l. reproductive mechanisms as an innovative vector control approach to reduce malaria transmission in Africa” said Dr Benoît Sessinou Assogba

Dr Ousmane Sy for its part addressed his communication on the issues of insecticide resistance and the involved target site mechanisms among malaria vector in pre-elimination areas of Senegal. 

“My research on the insecticide resistance mechanisms in natural populations of An arabiensis and An melas in hotspots highlighted for the first time the presence of the Ace1^R mutation in An. arabiensis populations from Senegal; which, if not properly managed may compromise currents and futures vector control interventions based on organophosphates and carbamates the unique alternative against pyrethroids resistant mosquitoes.’’ argued Dr Sy.

According to Dr Assogba, his MARCAD project, which is to investigate the effect of mass Anopheles reproductive swarm trapping on residual malaria transmission, has shown that such approach can reduce the vector density by 44% and the malaria infection prevalence by 67%.

Through his MARCAD fellowship, Dr Benoît S. Assogba has demonstrated that the feasibility and targeting Anopheles gambiae s.l. reproductive swarms can be used to control residual malaria transmission.

Dr Ousmane Sy, for his part, said that the results he presented at the webinar “provide highly impactful evidence to the NMCP to better target its Vector Control interventions in malaria residual transmission areas Among others. “

“My work has allowed the Identification and the characterization of main focal Malaria vectors maintaining malaria transmission in the surveyed hotspots.’’ highlighted Dr Sy

The Senegal and The Gambia National Malaria Control Programs webinar also allowed to both countries NMCPs to present their new National Strategic Plans for Malaria.

A panel discussion with stakeholders from Senegal and The Gambia was held during the virtual event to address current challenges and opportunities for malaria elimination in the two countries.

The Panel was chaired by Prof Umberto Dalessandro, Director of the MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, with as panel members, Dr Elhadj Doucouré, Elimination focal point NMCP Senegal, Prof Babacar Faye, UCAD, Prof Jean Louis Abdourahim Ndiaye, University of Thies, Mr Balla Gibba, NMCP Gambia and Dr Kalifa Bojang, MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM.

Senegal and The Gambia webinar was part of the World Malaria Day 2021 which theme of this year was “Draw the line against malaria”.

The World Malaria Day is an international event celebrated every year on 25 April and recognizes global efforts to control malaria.