Wicked Solution for Wicked Problems: Citizen Science for Vector-Borne Disease Control in Africa

Mercy Gloria Ashepet; Liesbet Jacobs; Michiel Van Oudheusden; Tine Huyse

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2020.10.004

Wicked Solution for Wicked Problems: Citizen Science for Vector-Borne Disease Control in Africa

Trends Parasitol. 2021 Feb;37(2):93-96. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.10.004. Epub 2020 Nov 3.

Authors

Mercy Gloria Ashepet¹, Liesbet Jacobs², Michiel Van Oudheusden³, Tine Huyse⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium. Electronic address: mercy.ashepet@africamuseum.be.
² Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Division of Geography and Tourism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
³ Department of Sociology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Centre of Sociological Research (CeSO), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium.

PMID: 33158719
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.10.004

Abstract

At the crossroads of interacting biological, socioeconomic, behavioral, and institutional factors, vector-borne diseases are complex 'wicked problems'. In this article, we argue that citizen science can help in vector control by boosting scientific data collection, tapping into local knowledge, and building durable partnerships between scientists and communities.

Keywords: Africa; citizen science; co-creation; community participation; vector-borne diseases.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Africa
Animals
Citizen Science*
Data Collection / trends
Humans
Vector Borne Diseases / prevention & control*