Control of Vector Borne Diseases of Public Health Importance: The Role of Integrated Vector Management and Indigenous Knowledge

Oda Gizaw

doi:10.7176/jnsr/9-22-03

Abstract

This study reviews about the role of indigenous knowledge and integrated vector management for controlling vector borne diseases of public health importance with the aim of providing summarized information to the beneficiaries. Now a day’s vector-borne diseases are the major illnesses of humans and animals. Many of vector-borne pathogens affect humans are of zoonotic origin. Reservoir hosts of these pathogens include wildlife, livestock, and companion animals. An important vector borne diseases with zoonotic potentials includes Leishmania, Dengue, Nipah virus, Rift Valley Fever, African Trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, Yellow Fever, Japanese Encephalitis, Onchocerciasis etc. These vector-borne diseases pose an increasingly wider threat to global public health, both in terms of the number of people affected and their geographical spread. For many vector-borne diseases, there are no vaccines, and their drug resistance characteristic is an increasing threat for public health. To achieve progress and stability in animal and human health, vector borne diseases have to be controlled effectively. In olden days, people traditionally practiced various indigenous knowledge to control insect and other vectors transmit diseases between animals and humans. Indigenous knowledge expresses traditional knowledge, rural knowledge as well as ethno science. Studies indicate that veterinary medicine, as practiced today, has its roots in herbal medicine, which has been practiced since ancient times. As many vector control methods are effective against multiple diseases, they can be integrated together to combat multiple diseases at once. Finally we recommend an Integrated Vector Management as the process for developing and implementing strategies of WHO for controlling vectors besides using an indigenous knowledge. Keywords: Indigenous Knowledge, Integrated Vector Management, Vector-borne diseases DOI : 10.7176/JNSR/9-22-03 Publication date: November 30 th 2019

Highlights

Bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases are vector-borne diseases which transmitted by insects such as mosquitoes, lice, sand flies and fleas called vectors [1, 2]
Vector borne diseases are the major illnesses of humans and animals caused by pathogens and parasites
Indigenous knowledge expresses the traditional and rural knowledge as well as ethno science and it evolved through many years of regular experimentation on the day-to-day life and available resources surrounded by the community

Summary

Introduction

Viral and parasitic diseases are vector-borne diseases which transmitted by insects such as mosquitoes, lice, sand flies and fleas called vectors [1, 2]. Many vector-borne pathogens affecting humans are of zoonotic origin Reservoir hosts of these pathogens include wildlife, livestock, and companion animals [10]. Have emerged in countries where they were previously unknown; changes in agricultural practices, changes in the breeding places of vectors due to deforestation, draughts, variation in temperature and rainfall affect increase transmission or wipe out few of the vector borne diseases; lack of proper education, improve awareness and monitoring about the distribution of vectors, vector-borne diseases and other climate-sensitive diseases; a crucial element in catching vector-borne diseases is the behavioral change of people during travel and tourism and searching for feed and living places in wild environment; poor national economy and lack of mobilizing fund for developing technical expertise and lack of draconian measures often emerge or reemerge VBDs in developing worlds [5] Risk factors associated with vector-borne zoonoses are: globalization of trade and travel, unplanned urbanization and environmental devastation due to climate change poses significant impact on vector borne disease transmission in recent years; due to lack of awareness of some vector borne diseases like dengue, chikungunya, Nipah and West Nile virus etc. have emerged in countries where they were previously unknown; changes in agricultural practices, changes in the breeding places of vectors due to deforestation, draughts, variation in temperature and rainfall affect increase transmission or wipe out few of the vector borne diseases; lack of proper education, improve awareness and monitoring about the distribution of vectors, vector-borne diseases and other climate-sensitive diseases; a crucial element in catching vector-borne diseases is the behavioral change of people during travel and tourism and searching for feed and living places in wild environment; poor national economy and lack of mobilizing fund for developing technical expertise and lack of draconian measures often emerge or reemerge VBDs in developing worlds [5]

Freshwater snail Schistosomiasis

Findings

Conclusion and Recommendation