Title:	Vector Biology and Control in Ghana
Keywords:	Vectors Laboratory Ecosystems Disease prevention, control and elimination
Country:	Germany
Institution:	Germany - Center for International Health at the Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität München
Course coordinator:	Prof. Dr. Andreas Kudom
Date start:	2025-04-15
Date end:	2025-04-25
About duration and dates:	Face-to-face course comprises 8 working days presence. Pre-readings will be distributed 2 weeks prior to course start. The essay assignment will be due 1 week after the end of the course.
Classification:	advanced optional
Mode of delivery:	Face to face
Course location: Department of Conservation Biology and Entomology, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana Website https://www.cih.lmu.de/vector-biology-and-control-in-ghana For inquiries and applications: PD Dr Guenter Froeschl (ttu@lrz.uni-muenchen.de)
ECTS credit points:	3 ECTS credits
SIT: 90 hours SIT: ● 54 hours contact hours (of which 6 hours assessment) ● 36 hours self-study (20 hours pre-reading, 6 hours during course reading, 10 hours essay writing)
Language:	English
Description: At the end of the module the student should be able to 1. explain the biology and behaviour of mosquitoes and relate it to their control strategies 2. critically discuss the purpose and role of entomological studies in control of vector-borne diseases 3. compare the life cycle of selected vectors and relate them to the transmission of diseases 4. apply a range of specialised technical skills relevant to mosquito control, e.g., sampling, identification, processing of vector samples.
Assessment Procedures: ● Multiple choice examination on contents of lectures and seminars (50%) (re-sit will be possible right on the final day of the face-to-face period; if this is failed, course has to be retaken) ● Demonstration of technical skills from the hands-on laboratory course (50%) (explain and show standard procedures on dummy samples; recognition of vector species from samples; re-sit right on the final day possible; if this is failed, course has to be retaken) ● Each part of the assessment has to be passed separately. Pass-mark is 60%. The re-sit is capped at the minimum pass-mark. ● Generally the course is set up as fail-pass. For external participants, grading can be issued as total percentage of correct answers.
Content: 1. Epidemiology of vector borne disease with special reference to Ghana (lecture) 2. Selected arthropods of medical importance (lecture) 3. Basic functional morphology of arthropods of medical importance (lecture) 4. Vector behaviour and disease transmission (lecture) 5. Mosquito systematics, sampling techniques and and larval survey (tutorials & field practical) 6. Sampling techniques for vectors other than mosquitoes (lecture) 7. Vector control and challenges (lecture) 8. Insecticide resistance and management (seminar) 9. Methods of evaluation of susceptibility and efficacy of insecticides and control tools (tutorial & laboratory practical) 10. Molecular techniques used in mosquito control (laboratory practical)
Methods: Four 4-hour lectures to introduce students to different aspects of entomology Two 4-hour seminars on insecticide resistance, mechanisms and impact on control strategies Two 4-hour tutorials on mosquito sampling techniques and vector incrimination A full-day (8-hour) laboratory practical A full-day (8-hour) field trip to sample mosquitoes Six hours for practical and multiple choice examination
Prerequisites: Proof of English fluency: tropEd students from an accredited tropEd home institution that have passed a core course in English language will be considered sufficiently fluent in English language. Also students that can provide proof of academic education passed entirely in English language will be considered sufficiently fluent. Applicants who are not able to meet either of these criteria will be asked to prove fluency by either a TOEFL (iBT score >= 79) or IELTS (score >=6.0) Professional Training/ Experience: Participants are expected to be trained in life sciences with a basic understanding of vector-borne diseases. In terms of entomological training, this course is intended as an introductory course.
Attendance: Maximum number of students: 20 (herein number of troped students not limited)
Selection: Students are selected on a first-come, first-serve basis
Fees: € 600,-; important notice: course fees are not refundable as consumables for the course have to be purchased in advance, with the exception of the course not taking place due to reasons on the side of the course coordination.
Scholarships: not available
Major changes since initial accreditation: Any changes in course coordinator, objectives, content, learning methods, assessment procedures need to be described with a short explanation about the reason for this change. Based on feedback, some more vectors other than mosquitos were added to the course content. During the pandemic, there was a one-year interruption. In 2021, the course started again in hybrid format. However, due to the very practical nature, the course was reverted to fully in-presence again.
Student evaluation: Provide a summary of the student evaluations (positive and negative aspects) and any other major feedback received Students strongly appreciated the practical nature and the field trip of the course. The course met well or very well the expectations, the volume and timing and punctuality were very well appreciated, and some local participants would have liked a longer course. For most contents the participants indicated that the course was very valuable. Some individual lectures, such as vector genetics and medical parasitology were considered too theoretical. Here, the contents were modified after discussion with the lecturers.
Lessons learned: The course is highly appreciated as a fully hands-on practical course. For international participants it means accessing vector habitats in a tropical country that would otherwise be difficult to experience. Some lectures had to be modified to meet expectations.
tropEd accreditation: This module has been accredited in October 2018, in Berlin.Re-accredited in Febr. Online GA 2024. This accreditation is valid until Febr. 2029.
Remarks: Participants are responsible themselves to arrange in time for visa, health insurance, accommodation and transport. These cost items are not covered by the course fee. The mandatory pre-course-reading-assignments will be issued two weeks prior to course commencement. Recommended optional reading: Kettle, D.S. (2005). Medical and Veterinary Entomology. 2nd edition. CABI publishing, Wallingford, UK. Service, M. (2008). Medical Entomology for students. 4th edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK WHO. (2002). Malaria entomology and vector control. Learner’s Guide. WHO/CDS/CPE/SMT/2002.18 Rev.1 Part.1 WHO. (1998). Techniques to detect insecticide resistance mechanisms (field and laboratory manual). WHO/CDS/CPC/MAL/98.6
Email Address:	ttu@lrz.uni-muenchen.de
Date Of Record Creation:	2018-10-31 10:51:54 (W3C-DTF)
Date Of Record Release:	2018-10-31 15:18:18 (W3C-DTF)
Date Record Checked:	2018-10-31 (W3C-DTF)
Date Last Modified:	2024-07-10 10:15:41 (W3C-DTF)