Interview with Dr Kanny Diallo on the results of the Molecular Epidemiology for Vaccination Policy (MEVacP) project
Hello Kanny Diallo, you are an associate researcher at the Swiss Centre for Scientific Research in Côte d'Ivoire, where you run projects. Do you have any other information to add to your presentation?
Hello! As you said, my name is Kanny Diallo, I'm an African of Guinean origin, I grew up in several countries on the continent, including Côte d'Ivoire, Chad, Mali and Ghana before moving back to Abidjan with my family in 2019.
I've also spent a good part of my life in Montreal, Canada, where I studied up to Masters level at McGill University. And to add to your presentation, I am a biochemist by training, specialising in molecular biology applied to infectious diseases. I continued my training in England at Oxford University, after 4 years of professional experience in the world of research in Mali. There I obtained a PhD (DPhil) from the Department of Zoology in the molecular epidemiology of infectious diseases. Basically, I study the genetic diversity of pathogens in order to understand their evolution and find ways of controlling and possibly preventing the diseases they cause. I have mainly worked on meningitis.
By the way, you led a project on meningitis called Molecular Epidemiology for Vaccination Policy (MEVacP for short). Tell us about it and what were its objectives?
The MEVacP project is a collaboration between researchers from Oxford University and various African countries, including Côte d'Ivoire. They include scientists, doctors, social scientists and public health specialists, with the aim of improving our understanding of bacterial meningitis in Africa. The main aim of the project was to contribute to the fight against meningitis by demonstrating the usefulness of molecular epidemiology studies in understanding the impact of existing vaccines and developing new, more effective and less costly diagnostic tools. It also aimed to improve knowledge of meningitis among the general public, healthcare professionals and decision-makers.
Can you tell us about the various activities you have carried out as part of MEVacP?
As part of this project, we carried out the following field activities; A sociological survey on the meningitis surveillance system in Côte d'Ivoire, awareness-raising about meningitis in primary schools in Tengrela, Korhogo and Abidjan using a comic strip and a cartoon designed by the project, awareness-raising about meningitis in first-contact establishments, secondary-level establishments and structures in charge of vaccination in Abidjan, Tengrela and Korhogo using posters designed by the project.
Feedback and training activities were also organised. These included training for 20 people from 8 countries in molecular epidemiology and a workshop in Abidjan, Tengrela and Korhogo to present the results of the sociological survey on the meningitis surveillance system in Côte d'Ivoire. This was followed by scientific research activities on the development of new molecular diagnostic tools for detecting the main agents of bacterial meningitis, and communication activities involving the creation and management of a website, the creation and management of a Facebook account, and the creation and management of a Twitter account.
Now that the MEVacP project has come to an end, what is your assessment?
We have achieved the objectives assigned to this project for our Côte d'Ivoire team. However, there is still a lot to be done in terms of raising awareness to ensure widespread vaccination coverage against meningitis. Our sociological survey of the meningitis surveillance system in Côte d'Ivoire revealed gaps that still need to be filled, especially in terms of training for health workers and molecular diagnostic capacity in secondary schools and/or first-contact establishments.
And what impact would it have on progress towards eradicating and preventing meningitis in Africa?
The fieldwork and communication activities served to remind people that the disease exists in our communities, that it causes sometimes irreversible after-effects, sometimes even death, and that it can be prevented through vaccination and appropriate lifestyle habits. It was an opportunity to remind healthcare professionals of the need to retrain, and for those involved in the surveillance system to remain on the alert, as meningitis pathogens are still circulating. It was also an opportunity to invite the structures responsible for vaccination to raise awareness and create specific meningitis vaccination programmes. Information tailored to all professional and social categories is available on the project's website, to provide people with the tools they need to eradicate meningitis. The project has highlighted new diagnostic tools which, if adopted into routine diagnosis, could contribute to improving the diagnosis of meningitis bacteria.
