Malawi Liverpool Wellcome launched a project dubbed “Shire Valley Vector Control” [Shire-VEC]in Chikwawa in September 2021 to understand the relationship between agriculture and Irrigation and vector-borne diseases.

The Shire-VEC project stems from the Malawi Government’s Shire Valley Transformation project underway in the Lower Shire to increase agricultural productivity and commercialisation for targeted households as well as to improve the sustainable management and utilisation of natural resources.

According to the Principal Investigator of the Shire- VEC mega project Chris Jones,  the project will last for four years with the first year dedicated to understanding major stakeholders of the project, conducting a baseline mapping exercise, and conducting entomology sampling (related to mosquitoes and snails).

“In the first year of this study we will also conduct ethnographies to understand farmers’ behaviour in line with vector-borne diseases and design vector control solutions,” said Jones.

“The Shire-VEC project has several stakeholders to be taken on board. Through effective engagement with these stakeholders, the project will be successfully implemented and it will immensely benefit smallholder farmers along the Shire Valley and Malawi,” said Jones.

Among other benefits, the project also offers opportunities to postgraduate students interested in health research with significant training components included in the course of driving the project. The Shire VEC programme that is expected to cover 22 thousand hectares emanates is being implemented with funding