Multisectoral approaches for controlling and preventing vector-borne diseases

Overview

The prevention and control of many diseases, including vector-borne diseases (VBDs), must be driven by more than just the health sector alone and a multisectoral approach (MSA) is required. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development offers a great opportunity to bring together different sectors, such as water and sanitation, agriculture and education. Furthermore, the Global Vector Control Response (GVCR) 2017–2030, which was approved by the World Health Assembly in 2017 by more than 190 WHO Member States, considers the intra- and intersectoral approach as one of the four pillars to achieve efficient control of vectors and vector-borne diseases.

To support deployment of such multisectoral approaches, TDR has developed a new guidance framework on a “Multisectoral approach to the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases.” This framework was developed following six commissioned reviews and a workshop supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Canadian International Development and Research Centre and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute. The guidance framework aims to provide theoretical background and practical support to decision-makers to design comprehensive strategies involving multiple sectors for the prevention and control of VBDs.

The main findings of the six commissioned reviews have been published in a supplement of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Through the commissioned reviews, consultations with stakeholders, and discussions with funders and expert advisors, research priorities for MSA have also been identified, including collaboration between the health and water and sanitation sectors. As a result, a collaboration has been established between TDR and the WHO Water and Sanitation (WASH) group, through financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), to conduct case studies and strengthen country capacity on the multisectoral approach against VBDs, with a focus on the WASH sector.

The overall objective of the collaboration, and the case studies showcased on this page, is to reduce WASH-related diseases of poverty, with a primary focus on VBDs. Among the deliverables is a training package that will support multisectoral actions to strengthen WASH-related disease control and prevention efforts, as well as specific recommendations for policies.

Publications