Ifakara Masterclass Edition 1- The Land of Gambiae: Malaria Entomology in the Days Before ITNs: A MasterClass with Prof. Graham White.

The Land of Gambiae: Malaria Entomology in the Days Before ITNs.

The 1st edition of the masterclass hosted by Fredros Okumu from Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) and features Prof. Graham White.

Graham reminisces about the early days os Malaria in Africa and how the situation was working for the East African community in the 1960s. He gives anaccount of main malaria vectors, main control methods and intensity of malaria transmission at that time. The conversation goes around major IRS trials in Pare-Taveta in the 60s and 70s to target An. funestus s.s and An. gambiae s.s which were almost completely endophilic/anthropophagic. These species disappeared and were replaced by sibling species with more exophilic/zoophilic variability. After IRS discontinued An. funestus s.s swept back reasserting dominance over An. rivulorum and An. parensis and refilled the houses with resurgent malaria across Pare-Taveta six years later. Impact of rice cultivation on the spread of malaria is also touched briefly. Graham discusses the possibility of malaria control measures developing exophilic tendencies in endophlic Anopheles species and his work on ITN and IRS projects with Chris Curtis at Muheza.

The role of vector control in global malaria elimination programs and lessons that can be learned from the history of work on Lymphatic filariasis is then discussed followed by threat posed by emergence of Anopheles stephensi to East Africa. Then it concludes by briefly touching on the need for leadership, governance and collaboration to contribute to achieving the common goal of malaria elimination in the future.