title: Deciphering emerging Zika and dengue viral epidemics: Implications for global maternal-child health burden.
abstract: Since its discovery in 1947 in Uganda and control and eradication efforts have aimed at its vectors (Aedes mosquitoes) in Latin America in the 1950s, an absolute neglect of Zika programs and interventions has been documented in Aedes endemic and epidemic-prone countries. The current unprecedented Zika viral epidemics and rapid spread in the Western hemisphere pose a substantial global threat, with associated anxiety and consequences. The lack of safe and effective drugs and vaccines against Zika or dengue epidemics further buttresses the realization from the West Africa Ebola outbreak that most emerging disease-prone countries are still poorly prepared for an emergency response. This paper examines knowledge gaps in both emerging and neglected arthropod-borne flavivirus infectious diseases associated with poverty and their implications for fostering local, national and regional emerging disease preparedness, effective and robust surveillance-response systems, sustained control and eventual elimination. Strengthening the regional and Global Health Flavivirus Surveillance-Response Network (GHFV-SRN) with other models of socio-economic, climatic, environmental and ecological mitigation and adaptation strategies will be necessary to improve evidence-based national and global maternal-child health agenda and action plans.
authors.affiliation: Biochemisry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Université des Montagnes, Bangangté, Cameroon; Africa Intelligence and Surveillance, Communication and Response (Africa DISCoR) Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon. Electronic address: tambo0711@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tambo
authors.affiliation: Biochemisry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Université des Montagnes, Bangangté, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Pascal D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Chuisseu
authors.affiliation: Biochemisry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Université des Montagnes, Bangangté, Cameroon; Service de Biochimie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU), Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Jeanne Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ngogang
authors.affiliation: Public Health Pests Laboratory, Jeddah Governate, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Emad I M
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Khater
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003715:Dengue / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D000071243:Zika Virus Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Epidemics; Health; Maternal–child; Preparedness; Surveillance; Zika virus