Project properties

Title Malaria mosquito surveillance in Sierra Leone
Group Entomology, Laboratory of
Project type thesis
Credits 24-36
Supervisor(s) Sander Koenraadt
Tessa Visser
Examiner(s) Prof. Marcel Dicke
Contact info sander.koenraadt@wur.nl
Begin date 2024/10/28
End date 2024/04/25
Description Malaria remains a serious health issue in many African countries. Preventing malaria mosquito bites and reducing mosquito populations are at the core of the malaria control approach, but efficient tools to evaluate indoor and outdoor biting are still lacking. As part of a collaboration with Njala University in Sierra Leone, you will evaluate different trap designs for their efficiency in trapping malaria mosquito populations. You will work in three different villages in Bo District, where the project team is also carrying out sociological studies on bednet use, insecticide spraying campaigns, and the role of local public health authorities in disease control. Setting up molecular assays (mosquito sibling species PCR, insecticide resistance diagnostics etc.) may be part of your assignment. Through so-called Science Shops (workshops at community level), we aim to better understand malaria transmission dynamics as well as to improve the uptake of malaria related interventions. The project is in collaboration with the Knowledge, Technology and Innovation group of WUR.

Intended start date: December ’24 (but can be discussed)
Used skills
Requirements Basic Entomology courses