A scientific seminar dedicated to climate change and infectious risks in the Indian Ocean was held in Mauritius on September 12 and 13, 2024.
The aim? To strengthen the region’s response and adaptation capacities through operational research.

The CC-RIO project: anticipating the spread of dengue fever and leptospirosis

Supported by CIRAD, the operational research project CC-RIO is supported by the IOC’s SEGA – One Health Network. It focuses on two emerging, climate-sensitive infectious diseases in the south-west Indian Ocean islands: dengue fever and leptospirosis.

The spread of these diseases is exacerbated by climatic disturbances such as heavy rainfall and heat waves. By studying the links between climate and these diseases, the CC-RIO project aims to :

  • better understand these dynamics in order to anticipate them more effectively
  • strengthen healthcare systems in the face of these growing threats.

This seminar is part of the scientific activities planned within the CC-RIO project.

A seminar to share knowledge and develop larger-scale projects

This scientific seminar was an opportunity for researchers from the region to present their work in progress, in particular that carried out as part of the CC-RIO project.

However, the seminar was more than just a showcase for academic work. Above all, the seminar provided an essential forum for dialogue between researchers and professionals in the health and climate sectors in the Indian Ocean region, the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

This approach enabled a fruitful exchange of knowledge and experience.

A window on the Indo-Pacific region

This extended participation with neighboring tropical regions is fully in line with the IOC’s SSIP program. Supported by the Agence française de développement (AFD), this program aims to strengthen health safety in the Indo-Pacific region. How can this be achieved? By supporting epidemic prevention, preparedness and response. What makes it special? It promotes collaboration between three regional epidemiological surveillance networks:

  • the IOC’s SEGA – One Health Network
  • the Pacific Community’s Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network (PPHSN
  • Institut Pasteur’s ECOMORE program in Southeast Asia

Structured around 4 key areas, the climate-health link is an integral part of this approach.

Beyond the seminar, practical training

Two training workshops were held prior to the seminar. They were intended for the Mauritius Vector Biology and Control Division (VBCD). Objective? To build capacity in vector surveillance and control, in particular through mapping:

  • transfer and appropriation of the approaches and methods needed to map and calibrate vector control zones against the Ae. albopictus mosquito, the vector of dengue fever
  • deployment of an operational modeling tool, ARBOCARTO, to improve surveillance and control of this mosquito

These training courses benefited from the expertise of CIRAD, INRAE and ARS de La Réunion.

The seminar also provided an opportunity to hand over 11 tablet computers to the VBCD. The aim is to continue building capacity, particularly through the digitization of field data. This approach is also in line with the company’s policy of limiting the use of paper.