Building the capacity of West African countries in Aedes surveillance: inaugural meeting of the West African Aedes Surveillance Network (WAASuN)
Samuel Dadzie, Jewelna Akorli, Mamadou B. Coulibaly, Koffi Mensah Ahadji‐Dabla, Ibrahima Baber, Thierry Bobanga, Ali Ould Mohamed Salem Boukhary, Tiago Canelas, Luca Facchinelli, Adéritow Augusto Lopes Macedo Gonçalves, Wamdaogo M. Guelbéogo, Basile Kamgang, I Keita, Lucien Yao Konan, Rebecca Levine, Nicole Dzuris, Audrey Lenhart, WAASuN contributors, Maxwell A. Appawu, Dogunro Festus Ayorinde, Daniel A. Boakye, Mawlouth Diallo, João Dinis, John Soleemulo Fayiah, Boube Hamani, Eloy Emelda Idam, Cani Pedro Jorge, Balla Kandeh, Olakiigbe Abiodum Kanmi, Raphaël N’Guessan, Sellase Pi-Bansa, Sidina Mohamed Salem, Ansumana Sillah, Samuel Smith, Kobié Hyacinthe Toé, Chrispin Williams, Michael Wilson, Anges Yadouléton
Abstract
Arboviral diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes have been reported in 34 African countries. Available data indicate that in recent years there have been dengue and chikungunya outbreaks in the West Africa subregion, in countries including Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Senegal, and Benin. These viral diseases are causing an increased public health burden, which impedes poverty reduction and sustainable development. Aedes surveillance and control capacity, which are key to reducing the prevalence of arboviral infections, need to be strengthened in West Africa, to provide information essential for the formulation of effective vector control strategies and the prediction of arboviral disease outbreaks. In line with these objectives, the West African Aedes Surveillance Network (WAASuN) was created in 2017 at a meeting held in Sierra Leone comprising African scientists working on Aedes mosquitoes. This manuscript describes the proceedings and discusses key highlights of the meeting.