Insect Vectors and Human Health
Report of the Scientific Working Group meeting. Geneva, 12-16 August, 2002
Summary
The goal of the meeting was to provide technical guidance for the improvement and diversification of vector research in order to meet the needs expanding and emerging disease situations. TDR-mandated activities on African trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, dengue fever, leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, malaria and onchocerciasis were critically reviewed and accomplishments were noted.
The meeting provided an opportunity to identify areas of knowledge that could be exploited for the improvement of existing tools for the management of disease vectors and the development of new tools. The Scientific Working Group noted that there were major gaps in knowledge of the biology, ecology and behaviour of many disease vectors, and of vector/pathogen interactions. Research into the discovery and development of new control strategies and the implementation of research in the field is inadequate to meet the needs of many disease-vector control programmes around the world. the group emphasized that expanded research activity in these areas might identify vector weakness that could be exploited. It was also noted that TDR had had a successful track record in finding and developing biological vector control measures and that this area of research would provide strategies for the implementation in integrated vector control programmes.