Bart G.J. Knols's blog

Raphael N’Guessan is a Medical Entomologist and West Africa IVCC programme manager based in Benin. His current research interests are on malaria vector control, with particular emphasis on control of resistant vectors, insecticide resistance management, and investigation of alternative strategies for its delay.
 
Q: Dear Raphael, please tell us what the main focus of your work is, and why this is important within the framework of malaria control and elimination.

Dr. Gunilla Priebe recently graduated from the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) on a most interesting topic. She advocates further Africanisation of malaria research based on her study of the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria. Some questions for Gunilla... 
 
 Question/Bart: If you argue for more research in the South, then what should the role of scientists in the North be(come)?...

E-interviews are a new section on MalariaWorld, where we interview members about their work and role in the field of malaria. This is our first e-interview, with Mr. Fredros Okumu, working at the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania and PhD student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
 
Question/Bart: Fredros, what are you currently working on and why is this important?

Last week, Nathan Myhrvold, a former Microsoft executive, presented a fascinating new invention to the world during a talk at the TED conference. The TED talks are renowned for providing a stage for great people with great ideas... 
 
 
 

On 18 January I flew from Amsterdam to Copenhagen for a 3-day workshop on malaria and architecture. The KLM Fokker 100 took off in time at 07.05 am, and nothing eventful happened until the time I opened the in-flight magazine Holland Herald…
 
 

In the Lancet of 5 February 1910 I discovered a most interesting little article about malaria on Antigua island (Carribean)...
 

There is a good reason for putting out a large variety of products with similar function on the market – like cars. It simply has to do with our innate differences in preference with regard to colour, shape, make, etc. Some like a blue car, others a white or a red one. And, suprise surprise, the great level of differentation means that almost everyone can find a car that matches his/her preferences at an affordable price....

Ninety years ago it was discovered that mosquitoes track us down at night by responding to the smell we as humans produce. Since then, many studies have focused on identifying the nature of the chemicals we produce with the aim to use them to lure mosquitoes to trapping devices, thereby interrupting bloodfeeding and thus transmission of diseases like malaria. But why is there still no trap available for use in the developing world where malaria hits hardest?

The statistics say it all: 70% of the transmission of infectious diseases is focused in and around the house. Including malaria, where the key vectors in Africa are almost exclusively feeding indoors and at night. The forum on MalariaWorld that discussed this issue was very well read (more than 1000 views), and although comments were limited, it was enough to move forward with the idea...

In most African countries bednets have become common and are contributing to saving countless lives of children. Scaling up of this intervention continues in the second decade of this millennium. Indoor residual spraying is widely practiced though a less common sight in many parts of Africa where spray teams do not reach far-off communities in rural settings.