Current Research Projects
Project 1. “Impact of environmental changes and altitude on the malaria vector structures and competence in the Mount Cameroon region”
It is well established that Anopheles vectors are fewer and less competent in transmitting Plasmodium at higher altitudes. This is due to the climate prevailing at higher altitude with lower temperature (20-25°c). The mount Cameroon region, which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean and culminates at 4100 m above the sea level, provides a unique opportunity to study the influence of micro-climate variation on the malaria vector structure. It also gives opportunity to assess the environmental changes from human activities on the population genetic structures of Anopheles and their capacity to transmit the parasites
Project 2.“The Mape Dam project and its impact on the Onchocerciasis transmission in the Mbam and Sanaga valleys.
In 1998, a dam was constructed on the Mape River at the boundary between the West and Adamaoua provinces of Cameroon with the main objective to regularize the course of the Sanaga River and avoid significant decrease in the water level during the dry seasons and therefore avoid shortage in Electricity production at the Units situated down Sanaga at Edea.
We hypothesize that the non observation of reduction in the onchocerciasis transmission in the Mbam and Sanaga valleys, despite 15 years of mass treatment with ivermectin is related to the water release from the Mape dam during dry seasons. This release, maintains through out the year ideal conditions for the breeding of Simulium damnosum and S. squamosum vectors. This three years project will generate sufficient data to back this hypothesis.