Entomologists from the Navy Entomology Center of Excellence (NECE) worked alongside public health partners from the Ghana Armed Forces Entomology Center of Excellence (GECE) to carry out mosquito surveillance operations in Accra, Ghana, throughout March and April 2022.

The team conducted survey efforts for Anopheles mosquitoes, notoriously known as the “malaria mosquito”, as well as for other disease-transmitting species. The Ghanaians are poised to do this independently, thanks to the training and equipping efforts in collaboration with the NECE.

The Department of Defense has consistently made the surveillance, identification, and management of mosquitoes that transmit malaria a top priority.

In 2011, U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) founded the Africa Malaria Task Force (AMTF) to coordinate African partner nations in strengthening surveillance, control, and pathogen detection capabilities for malaria vectors.

However, the World Health Organization noted that support for programs to combat malaria have been significantly reduced in order to shift limited health resources due to COVID-19. According to the 2021 World Malaria Report, there were 14 million more malaria cases and 47,000 more deaths from malaria worldwide compared to 2019.

Faced with the continuing threat of malaria, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Ghana Police Service (GPS), Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research (NMIMR), and NECE established GECE on April 16, 2021. Funding in Ghana to establish GECE began with the Center for Global Health Engagement’s Global Health Research Initiative (GHERI), and has continued operations through funding from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division’s Global Emerging Infections Surveillance (GEIS) program.

The recent partnership between NECE and GECE was a welcomed renewal of mosquito control efforts.

“Assisting partners in malaria control has become a major focus of Navy Entomology,” said Navy entomologist Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Montgomery. “In West Africa, we are pleased to work with our Ghanaian partners and excited for further collaboration to extend activity with other AMTF nations. This will help us build stronger relationships with our African partners while simultaneously decreasing malaria.”

Insecticide resistance (IR) monitoring also plays a role in force health protection, ensuring mosquito populations stay susceptible to control efforts. If resistance is found, the insecticides used are changed and application techniques are modified to ensure efficacy. Continued IR surveillance is critical for proper vector control and a key focus of NECE’s Insecticide Resistance and Response System (IRRS).

“Establishing proper vector surveillance and IR monitoring is essential to blocking disease transmission and reducing the real burden on our partner’s public health infrastructure,” said Navy entomologist Lt. j.g. Jacob Underwood, NECE Assistant Department Head of Global Health Operations."

GECE is slated to be the central entomology laboratory in West Africa that, in collaboration with NECE and AMTF countries, can assist other African countries in the battle against malaria. By combining forces and knowledge, their teamwork will reduce the impacts malaria has on the continent.

“Our partners in Ghana have the ultimate goal of eliminating malaria from their country,” said Navy entomologist Lt. j.g. Sean McKay, NECE Department Head of Global Health Operations. “We hope they can help lead the region and aid other AMTF partners in this mission.”

NECE is a field activity of the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC), Portsmouth, Va. NMCPHC develops and shapes public health for the U.S. Navy and Marines Corps through health surveillance, epidemiology and analysis, disease and injury prevention, and public health consultation. Learn more by going to www.nmcphc.med.navy.mil. Follow NMCPHC on social media at: https://www.facebook.com/NavyAndMarineCorpsPublicHealthCenter http://twitter.com/nmcphc and https://www.instagram.com/nmcphc/