title: Mapping of courses on vector biology and vector-borne diseases systems: time for a worldwide effort.
abstract: Major emergency efforts are being mounted for each vector-borne disease epidemiological crisis anew, while knowledge about the biology of arthropods vectors is dwindling slowly but continuously, as is the number of field entomologists. The discrepancy between the rates of production of knowledge and its use and need for solving crises is widening, in particular due to the highly differing time spans of the two concurrent processes. A worldwide web based search using multiple key words and search engines of onsite and online courses in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and German concerned with the biology of vectors identified over 140 courses. They are geographically and thematically scattered, the vast majority of them are on-site, with very few courses using the latest massive open online course (MOOC) powerfulness. Over two third of them is given in English and Western Africa is particularity poorly represented. The taxonomic groups covered are highly unbalanced towards mosquitoes. A worldwide unique portal to guide students of all grades and levels of expertise, in particular those in remote locations, is badly needed. This is the objective a new activity supported by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR).
authors.affiliation: Université de Tours, Institut de Recherche en Biologie de l'Insectes, Unité Mixte de Recherches, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Tours, France.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casas
authors.affiliation: Université de Tours, Institut de Recherche en Biologie de l'Insectes, Unité Mixte de Recherches, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Tours, France.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lazzari
authors.affiliation: Université de Tours, Institut de Recherche en Biologie de l'Insectes, Unité Mixte de Recherches, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Tours, France.
authors.forename: Teresita
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Insausti
authors.affiliation: Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Launois
authors.affiliation: Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fouque
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia; D002417:Cattle; D002489:Central America; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D004199:Disease Vectors; D020375:Education, Distance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004772:Entomology / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D007300:Insect Control; D007303:Insect Vectors; D007802:Language; D009656:North America; D013020:South America; D013663:Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*