African Unification Front
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African Disease Environment Prediction Task (Project ADEPT)
The technology of remote sensing is used to assist researchers in performing a variety of tasks better, faster, cheaper and wiht greater accuracy. Public health scientists and ecosystem researchers have recently begun using remote sensing to assist with predicting and controlling disease outbreaks. However, remote sensing is applicable only with certain diseases. It is useful in monitoring diseases that are spread by a vector, such as mosquitos, whose presence is associated with certain land covers or vegetation types.
An example of the potential of remote sensing for disease control and prediction was demonstrated in the Afican Disease Environment Prediction Task (ADEPT). The disease, Rift Valley Fever (RVF), is a mosquito-borne virus that infects livestock and humans in east and west-central Africa. Along the banks of rivers and streams in regions subject to outbreaks of RVF are flooded areas called dambos. The dambos fill with stagnant water after prolonged rains. When flooded, dambos provide an excellent habitat for the RVF-carrying mosquito to breed and to mature.
For effective and efficient control of RVF it is critical to know the location of dambos and when they are flooded. Remote sensing can provide such information. Becuse dambos flood intermittently, the vegetation that grows in them differs from the vegetation around them. Using Landsat Thematic Mapper Imagery, project scientists demonstrated the efficiency of remote sensing in detecting the vegetation associated with dambos. The same satellite system is not suitable to detect when dambos are flooded because of the periodicity of the data collection (every 16 days) and the need to monitor dambos during the rainy season when clouds obscure the view the ground for passive remote sensing systems. Synthetic Aperture Radar (an active remote sensing system that can look through clouds) was tested by Project ADEPT during a field experiment in Kenya in 1989. The radar system, flown on a Navy P-3 aircraft, provided data that produced positive results for the local health agencies involved in controlling this disease.
NEUROSCIENCE: Schedule for 2001 to 2003
First Intermediate Brain Research Oraganization's African Neuroscience School held in Pietersburg, SA, 14-19 September 2000. 25 students from seven different African countries were selected (ad hoc committee) for one-week course instructed by an international team.
First Maghreb Region Neuroscience Meeting in Fez, Morocco, 21–23 October 2000. Organized by ARC member Nouria Lakhdar-Ghazal.
Fifth SONA 2001 International Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, 21-27 April 2001. A highly successful meeting with survival skills workshop (M Zigmond & B Fischer), ADHD workshop (T Sagvolden & A Meyer), ISN satellite day (P Butterworth) and WHO-WFN dementia symposium (Kalaria et al.).
Regional Meetings of Neuroscience Societies during 2000: Southern African Neuroscience Society (SANS), Nigerian Neuroscience Society (NNS) and Kenya Neuroscience Society (KNS) – all held one- to three-day meetings.
FUTURE GOALS AND DEVELOPMENTS, FORTHCOMING EVENTS, 2001-2002
ARC Development: Ratification to add new member to ARC: Willie Daniels, SONA treasurer, SA. ARC currently has six members (Morocco, Senegal, Congo, Kenya and South Africa).
ARC Travel Grants and Fellowships: ARC has budgeted $5,000 per year for several small (regional) awards.
ARC to help development of SONA Secretariat: Expand database, membership directory and website. Aim to create a Pan organization that ARC should oversee. Plans for a journal (two issues/year?) 2002.
“Libraries for Africa” Project (IBRO-ISN collaboration- committee: P Nowha, R Butterworth, Sue McConnell). TIPS has donated a large number of books soon to be shipped to Nairobi site.
Second IBRO School in Africa, Rabat, Morocco, 20-29 April 2002. Skills workshops to be permanent feature (course to be overseen by ARC but co-ordinate teaching with international advisory group and with IBRO schools and symposia committees).
Plans for a sub-Saharan Africa school in Nairobi, Kenya, September 2002. To co-coincide with University’s intention to start an MSc course in Neuroscience.
Regional meeting in 2002: Tentative plans for “Neuroscience in South Africa or Egypt? ” October 2002
A site for Sixth SONA 2003 International Conference in Abuja, Nigeria, April 2003.
Possibility of a Neuroscience lectureship(s) in Africa through private donation.
Active participation in IBRO Congress, Prague, July 2003.
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