China CDC holds training course on mosquito sample collection in Sierra Leone

In order to improve the prevention and control of mosquito-borne infectious diseases and mosquito monitoring capabilities in Sierra Leone, and improve the quality of mosquito sample collection, from January 10 to January 12, 2023, the expert team of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) and the Nationl Malaria Control Programme Office of the Ministry of Health of Sierra Leone jointly held a three-day training course on mosquito sample collection techniques in the city of Makeni in the northern province of Sierra Leone.

A total of 17 technical officials and professional technicians from Sierra Leone participated in the training. With the support of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this training was conducted as part of the China-Sierra Leone multilateral cooperation project named Pilot Project on Building Capacity of Malaria Molecular Lab Epidemiology Network in Sierra Leone.

The opening ceremony of the training course was presided over by Dennis Marke, Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme, Sierra Leone, Ministry of Health of Sierra Leone (SLMOHS). Alie H. Wurie, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer of SLMOHS, Doris Bah, the director of the Environmental Health and Sanitation SLMOHS, and Zhao Chunchun and Shen Haimo from China CDC, attended the meeting. Experts from both sides exchanged their ideas and stressed the significance of mosquito sampling at the event.

The training course included selection of sampling sites, mosquito collection methods, mosquito species identification and mosquito collection practice. Sierra Leone professionals from the National Malaria Control Programme and Zhao Chunchun from China CDC, were invited to give lectures.

Sierra Leone professionals introduced the overview and significance of the project, as well as the distribution and selection criteria for the sampling sites, and presented the characteristics and methods of mosquito identification. Zhao introduced and showed how to use mosquito trap lamps, solar power supply, microscopes and other tools during sampling.

After the lectures, the trainees were divided into four groups and put the newly learned knowledge into practice. They talked with local villagers, hang mosquito traps in their houses, set up power supplies, collected samples and conducted information surveys.

All trainees have mastered the relevant knowledge and skills of collecting samples and achieved the expected training effect. According to the project plan, on-site sample collection will begin in February this year.