1A finding emerged in the late 1990s: although vector-borne diseases were still present, if not on the rise, the number of medical entomologists was declining. Without them, how can vectors be tracked in the field? These professionals are the only ones capable of determining whether or not insects carry diseases. This crucial skill was unfortunately lacking due to the absence of dedicated academic courses, notably in France.

Sampling larvae in Benin.

2This led to the creation, in 2006, of an international Master’s degree course in Medical and Veterinary Entomology (MIE) at the University of Abomey-Calavi, in Benin, in partnership with the University of Montpellier. In 2015, this course was moved to Côte d’Ivoire, in Bouaké’s Alassane Ouattara University.

MIE course, Cotonou, Benin.

3The first year of the course is held in both France and Côte d’Ivoire, while the second year is in Côte d’Ivoire (three months) and Burkina Faso (one month), after which students undergo a research training period in France or abroad. The MIE’s geographical position is not insignificant, as it allows students to actually immerse themselves in the transmission areas of major vector-borne diseases while having access to state-of-the-art laboratories in this domain.

4Since its inception, the MIE has trained 116 students from 26 different countries, some of which are non-Francophone (Ghana, Bolivia, Cape Verde and Equatorial Guinea). Forty-five theses have been defended or are underway. Career prospects are very good for these young people, who are subsequently recruited by universities and research institutions, but also by national control programmes, NGOs and private companies involved in vector control. The MIE has also developed distance learning courses and helped train a network of entomologists in France and Africa.