MESA FORUM: Responding to the threat of Anopheles stephensi invasion in Africa

Responding to the threat of Anopheles stephensi invasion in Africa

Anopheles stephensi, an invasive malaria vector, was historically considered an Asian malaria vector. However, in 2012 it was detected for the first time in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. It has since been detected in close proximity countries such as Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and more recently in Nigeria and Kenya.

The MESA Alliance organized a virtual forum to raise awareness and facilitate information sharing among malaria stakeholders involved in the fight against this threat. The forum highlighted the importance of An. stephensi invasion in the context of broader challenges facing malaria control. It provided an opportunity for actors dealing with An. stephensi globally to come together and engage in a discourse about measures used to come to grips with An. stephensi and apply the best course of action to face the challenge of this invasion in Africa.

PANELISTS:

Chair: Fitsum G Tadesse – Lead Scientist, Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI) Ethiopia

• Seth Irish – World Health Organization
• Gudissa Assef – National Malaria Elimination Program Director, Ministry of Health, Ethiopia
• Sinnathamby Noble Surendran – Professor of Zoology, University of Jaffna
• Ashwani Kumar – Director ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre, India
• Sarah Zohdy – U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative Entomology Team Lead

Forum Materials:

• Slide deck of the presentation
• Recording of the presentation in Arabic and French: *The language in each recording switches from English around the 6th minute*
• Responses to the unanswered questions received before and after the forum: Q&A English