Humanity is facing two major crises related to anthropogenic disruption of ecosystems: mass extinction of species and emergence or re-emergence of pathogens. The Eco-Health DIV-YOO project is at the crossroad of these issues and will contribute to a better understanding of (i) how anthropogenic changes affect the diversity of mosquitoes, many of them being vectors of human and animal pathogens, and (ii) how this diversity drives the epidemiology of a vector-borne disease. Using both historical and newly collected multi-species data, we will analyse the determinants of mosquito richness and characterise species niches at both the sub-continental (West-Africa) and national (Senegal) scales as well as responses to environmental changes. Future spatial distributions of species and community structures will be predicted according to climate change and landscape anthropization scenarios. We will develop a mathematical model to study the effect of mosquito diversity on malaria epidemiology . This model will be used to describe the conditions under which mosquito richness leads to amplification or dilution effect and to predict the impact of species introduction or extirpation.

Today, the quality of engineering training in Western Africa (more specifically in Senegal and Togo) has to meet international standards while being closely connected to local economic and sociocultural contexts. To reach this goal, global structuring involving representatives of the different economic sectors is required.Four European higher education institutions will support six schools from Senegal and Togo in their pursuit of autonomy by helping them to develop their own method of improving quality in order to obtain the CTI accreditation and the EUR-ACE label and, by doing so, to reach international standards.The six schools have been chosen to reflect as much as possible the diversity of institutional models and training programs, and to consider potential synergy beyond the countries involved in this project. They all possess both a strong will for improvement and local resources that have yet to be structured. An upgrade of the traditional academic streams along with the development of new specialties (applied mathematics) should highlight local skills that are much sought-after worldwide.Support, which includes training personnel, will structure all different phases of the process. It should allow the African institutions to decide what needs and evolutions are required. It will cover pedagogical, economical and institutional stakes in order to ensure autonomous and effective grasp of the quality process. It will lead them to design online training programs that could be shared.The acquired know-how and the general method will be assessed and adjusted when necessary. They will give rise to a White Paper and to the implementation of an adapted follow-up that should guarantee the sustainability of the quality process within the socio-economic and cultural context.