The launch ceremony for the international medical entomology course, bringing together technicians and engineers from six African countries, was held this Monday, November 24, at the Pasteur Institute of Côte d'Ivoire's Adiopodoumé site.
Organized by the Pasteur Institute of Côte d'Ivoire (IPCI), in collaboration with the Pasteur Institute (IP) and with technical support from Expertise France, this session will run until November 28 at the IPCI's premises in Adiopodoumé.
This large-scale initiative aims to strengthen the capacity for surveillance, prevention, and control of mosquito-borne diseases, in a context where arboviruses and malaria remain major threats to public health.
During the opening ceremony, Professor Méité Syndou, Director of the Pasteur Institute of Côte d'Ivoire, commended the mobilization of partners and health authorities.
“The Pasteur Institute of Côte d’Ivoire is at the heart of infectious disease surveillance and diagnosis. We play a vital role in the early detection of epidemics, particularly rabies, and in implementing effective response strategies. This training strengthens our efforts by providing the sub-region with a pool of experts in medical entomology,” he stated.
He also emphasized the importance of collaboration between the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, the Ministry of Higher Education, the IRD (French Research Institute for Development), the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and international partners involved in the fight against vector-borne diseases.
Present at the ceremony, Dr. Koné Atioumanan Blaise, Deputy Director General of Health and representative of the Minister of Health, emphasized the importance of this training in an African context where vector-borne diseases are on the rise due to climate change and urbanization.
“Strengthening national and regional expertise in medical entomology is essential. Mosquitoes are responsible for some of the most dangerous diseases, and their control remains a major challenge. This training will help create a new generation of experts capable of ensuring effective surveillance and improving vector control strategies,” he stated.
He thanked the technical and financial partners, particularly the IRD and Escartis France, for their continued support.
The training is led by Christophe Paupy, a medical entomologist and Research Director at the IRD (French Research Institute for Development), based in Montpellier. He outlined the scientific and operational challenges of medical entomology.
“Medical entomology studies the insects involved in the transmission of diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. The objective of this training is to provide technicians with the necessary tools to identify mosquito vectors, estimate their abundance, assess the risk of bites, and implement appropriate control strategies,” he explained.
He also detailed the practical skills covered: mosquito collection and identification, specimen preservation, insecticide resistance assessment, and an introduction to new vector control methods.
This session brings together learners from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Chad, and Djibouti, as well as other national experts, bringing the total number of participants to around twenty.
Each country is represented by a pair of specialized technicians working in epidemiological surveillance, public health, or research.
For his part, Jambou Ronan, a researcher at the Pasteur Institute, emphasized the highly scientific nature of the course content, highlighting the central role of the IPCI in medical research and innovation in West Africa.
This initiative marks a significant step in strengthening Africa's capacity to address vector-borne threats. Thanks to international scientific cooperation and the commitment of local institutions, the sub-region is acquiring essential tools and skills to anticipate and control epidemics.
The Pasteur Institute of Côte d'Ivoire thus reaffirms its central role in protecting populations, developing applied research, and training healthcare professionals.
