WITS UNIVERSITY JOINS THE FIRST OBSERVATORY MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE NETWORK IN AFRICA
- FHS Communications
Africa carries the highest burden of mosquito-borne diseases in the world, with climate change accelerating the spread of disease-carrying vectors.
South Africa had a malaria outbreak from 1999 to 2000 that quickly spread from neighbouring countries, leading to a significant regional surge. Environmental conditions were one of the key contributing factors to the epidemic, highlighting the need to predict future outbreaks and high-risk areas through surveillance and ecological modelling. South Africa is also endemic to several mosquito borne viruses such as West Nile virus and Rift Valley Fever that can cause annual epidemics and large outbreaks in humans and animals following climatic events, but cases are often missed and remain under reported.
Wits University researchers have partnered in the continent’s first interconnected mosquito observatory network, VectorGrid-Africa, which has launched in five countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, and Madagascar.
Filling Critical Gaps in Mosquito Control in SADC
The €6.1 million initiative is funded by the EU’s HORIZON/EDCTP programme and led by the University of Glasgow. It will establish advanced monitoring sites to collect high-quality, open-access data on mosquito species and environmental factors influencing vector dynamics. This will help identify mosquito species that are susceptible to transmitting diseases—a function that will aid in fast-tracking disease forecasting.
Wits scientists Professors Lizette Koekemoer, Research Professor at the Wits Research Institute for Malaria (WRIM), and Distinguished Professor and research chair Marietjie Venter (Division of Emerging Viral Threats, One Health Surveillance and Vaccines (EViTOH), will lead the South African node of the project. The operations will take place in strategically selected sentinel sites in malaria disease-endemic provinces that are mostly concentrated in the warmer regions, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and parts of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as Gauteng, where arbovirus outbreaks are frequently detected.
This research project aims to address the key gaps in mosquito control within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. “Understanding how human behaviour, environment, and other factors contribute to vector-risk exposure is crucial for understanding complex transmission cycles,” explains Koekemoer.
Climate Events Fuel the Spread of Emerging Diseases
With the prevalence of environmental elements such as heavy rainfall and flooding in the region triggering the spread of arboviruses carried by birds, livestock, and wildlife, there’s a growing need to ensure the detection of endemic and emerging diseases. The Wits research team will use the newly constructed Biosafety level-3 (BSL-3) laboratory at the Wits BioHub in “enhancing capacity to work on vector-borne and zoonotic diseases in the face of climate change in Africa,” she adds.
The initiative will address a critical rift in Africa’s public health infrastructure: the lack of sustainable surveillance data will ensure long-term preparedness for epidemics and pandemics. With the underestimations of mosquito vectors on the continent, the research output of the VectorGrid-Africa can inform efforts to streamline interventions and optimise resource allocation to reduce disease transmission.
Empowering Africa’s Scientific Leadership
A collaborative symbiotic relationship between various African Ministries of Health and research institutes will facilitate the exchange of skills and increase the pool of individuals equipped with scarce expertise. VectorGrid-Africa is designed to be locally managed, ensuring long-term sustainability and ownership by African institutions.
The initiative will also inform the innovation of new technologies to improve more sensitive and faster approaches. These will enable the evaluation of these platforms in a country-specific context and will be shared with various stakeholders after assessments, allowing us to identify the challenges and opportunities for each.
“Wits is honoured to be part of this transformative initiative. VectorGrid-Africa will not only enhance our understanding of mosquito-borne diseases but also empower African scientists to lead the charge in developing sustainable, locally driven solutions,” says Professor Marietjie Venter.
ENDS
For media interviews and more information, please contact:
Didi Fombad - didi.fombad@wits.ac.za