Prof. Delenasaw Yewhalaw (PhD) is a Professor of Medical Entomology and founding Head of Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Center (TIDRC) at Jimma University.
He has over 20 year’s extensive experience in research and teaching. His research focuses on malaria and other vector-borne infectious diseases. He authored or co-authored over 112 scientific publications. His research works had an impact on national health policy and practice.
He established TIDRC at Sekoru, in Oromia State, with state-of-the-art facilities which serve as a center of excellence for infectious diseases research in Ethiopia, the State and beyond. He also established the International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research Laboratories at Arjo-Didessa, Ethiopia. He has been awarded with several prestigious research grants from National Institutes of Health (NIH), European Union, Welcome Trust, WHO/TDR and Grand Challenge Canada, and others.
Currently, he is a fellow of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences (EAS), also chairperson of Pan-Africa Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA).
The Ethiopia Herald had a brief stay with Prof. Delenasaw Yewhalaw regarding the prevention, control as well as elimination of malaria, the role of stakeholders, his accomplishments in TIDRC and PAMCA realization.
Prof. Delenasaw Yewhalaw said that malaria is a life-threatening disease primarily found in tropical countries. Though malaria is both preventable and curable, due to limitations to prompt diagnosis and effective treatment, a case of uncomplicated malaria is progressing to a severe form of the disease, which is often fatal without treatment.
Malaria is remaining a leading cause of death and affecting the productive force throughout Africa. The threat of malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa is the highest, and four countries in that region accounted for nearly half of all malaria deaths worldwide.
While talking about the measures it should be taken to realize the vision of a continent that is free from vector, Prof. Delenasaw Yewhalaw said that African countries should come together and deal with the undertakings to see an Africa free of vector –borne diseases and; it is possible if Africans stand in unison.
The strategies designed to control malaria by eliminating mosquitoes from the continent of Africa are promising, yet it needs more collaboration in various areas in a bid to address the upsurge cases in various parts of the continent.
Ethiopia’s effort on prevention and control of malaria is also encouraging. However, a lot has to be done because the spread of malaria is expanding in areas that had never been affected before.
According to him, the spread of the disease has been increasing due to the occurrence of a new type of mosquitoes coming from Asian and other diseases like Dengue in vast parts of Ethiopia.
In Ethiopia, the number of individuals contracting and capitulating to malaria has undergone a major decline of 90 percent over the past decade.
Nonetheless, the spread of malaria has been on the upswing in the past two years mainly due to natural and man-made problems like climate change and security issues.
These all incidents demonstrate that stakeholders should further strengthen efforts in the prevention and control of malaria through collaboration; in this regard the media houses should come first in equipping the community with information.
“The Ministry of Health is leading the prevention and control as well as elimination program; and it is commendable.”
According to him, putting in place strong malaria prevention and control strategies throughout Africa is the call of the day, if stakeholders work in collaboration, African countries can end malaria and vector borne diseases, improve economic growth, advance gender equality, and bend the curve on poverty.
Some of the key collaborative initiatives that should be applied like vector control and cases management as well as epidemiological data sharing along border regions as well as resource sharing and capacity building should be given due attention.
“If we are to beat malaria and end vector borne diseases, we must strengthen our health systems and to ensure universal health coverage. Professional associations and academies also should come at forefront to address the emerging threats of vector borne diseases through collaboration.” he underlined.
He further noted that PAMCA is engaged in bringing together scientists, researchers, public health professionals, donors, civil society, and other key stakeholders to collaborate on the control and elimination of vector-borne diseases towards a common vision of “An Africa free of vector-borne diseases” guided by integrity, innovation, excellence and partnership core values.
PAMCA has conducted its 9th 5-day global conference (Sep 17-21 2023) to discuss ways to combat malaria in Africa in the capital Addis Ababa and the conference was attended by over eight hundred participants drawn from the globe.
This year’s PAMCA conference was themed “Reorienting surveillance and management in the context of emerging threats of disease vectors.”
On the occasion more than six hundred researchers from all hubs presented their works alongside experts from Ethiopia and various African countries, which could help in uniting efforts and realizing collaborations against the challenges posed by malaria.
Responding to TIDRC’s inception, he said: “TIDRC was conceived in 2010 while I had been studying for my PhD. A number of local research activities have been sponsored by donors that hinder them from learning practically, I decided to present the establishment paper for the Jimma University in 2012, the establishment paper was endorsed by the University senate to undertake high-level research and training on tropical and infectious diseases.
In my view, TIDRC has created opportunities for junior and senior researchers to access state of the art laboratories, this, in turn, allows researchers to comprehend the context of local situations to better learn disease ecology and epidemiology.”
Moreover it is opening doors for researchers to address the most serious health challenges and develop and design prevention and control strategies.
TIDRC is mostly focusing on Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) in health that equitably involves all partners in the research process. It begins with the importance of research topic to the community with the aim of combining knowledge and action to improve community health.
Now TIDRC is becoming one of the renowned research hubs of excellence acclaimed by WHO and other partners to conduct research activities on tropical and infectious diseases and add value in bringing international experiences to Ethiopia health sector human development.
According to him, TIDRC has three focus areas that are public health, biomedical and clinical practices. The Center is located at Sekoru District 233 km South-West of the capital, Addis Ababa and 102 km East of Jimma Town.
“I am grateful for the support provision of Jimma University and development partners locally and globally.”
Moreover, TIDRC is engaged in hosting and providing support for the PhD program in tropical and infectious diseases and postgraduate research in allied disciplines at Jimma University. It also provides tailor-made training on field-based and laboratory management skills.
According to Prof Delenasaw, the prime impediments to the achievement of the malaria elimination agenda are vector resistance to insecticides, the emergence of parasite resistance to current malaria treatment medicines and the spread of malaria across international boundaries.
“I will keep on working to eradicate malaria joining hands with pertinent stakeholders and to meet the aspired set goal of eliminating malaria,” he concluded.
BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER 2023
