June 27, 2018
Over 80% of the world’s population is at risk from vector-borne diseases, yet no single, all-encompassing resource for the researchers and health workers involved in vector-borne disease control exists today. The aim of the Global Vector Hub is to change this.
By building an open access online resource to bring researchers and health workers together, and by providing bespoke training, guidelines and access to data, the Global Vector Hub (GVH) will enable collaboration across disciplines, diseases and vectors, whilst building capacity and generating evidence to support critical decision making.
A significant amount of work in the development of the GVH has been achieved since the start of ZikaPLAN. To date, regarding outreach, a steering committee has been established comprising members from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other relevant academic institutions.
Members of the GVH project have attended international conferences such as the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) and have also established partnerships with organisations such as the Malaria Atlas Project and Vectorbase. Scoping and data collection is now being carried out for the vector database element of the hub, which will be used to generate bespoke maps of mosquito and disease distribution. The mapping tool is currently being designed by the GVH team, collaboratively with The Global Health Network.
In addition, an online registry of members from the vector control community has been developed. Ultimately each member, along with their (and their institution’s) capacity for vector research, will be entered into a searchable registry and uploaded onto the online resource.
If you would like to sign up to become a part of the online vector community, please visit the online registration form.