We begin this edition with updates from the 4th edition of the West African Aedes Surveillance Network, WAASUN, annual meeting.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, Aedes-borne arboviral diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya are being reported with increasing frequency.
The West African Aedes Surveillance Network is a non-profit organization that aims to strengthen the capacity of West African countries to carry out surveillance and control arboviral diseases which are viral diseases transmitted by arthropods, predominantly mosquitoes, sandflies, and ticks.
WAASUN held its 4th annual meeting in the Senegalese Capital Dakar from June 24 – 28 and it was attended by over 90 entomologists and public health practitioners representing 16 countries in the West African subregion.
The second part of the programme focuses on post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, a mental health condition that is triggered by a terrifying event like rape, chronic illness, death, and domestic abuse, among others.
PTSD symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.
These symptoms may start within one month of a traumatic event, but sometimes they may not appear until years after the event. The symptoms also vary over time or vary from person to person.