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Benin's Outstanding Contribution to GLOBE Program Success

In Novebmer 2004, the General Education Secondary School (CEG1) of Lokossa in Benin received official congratulations for their invaluable contribution to environmental science through their persistent collection of atmospheric data and its use as part of a GLOBE project focussing on malaria, a widespread disease in Africa.

GLOBE brings together students, teachers and scientists from around the world to enhance environmental awareness of individuals worldwide, increase scientific understanding of the Earth, and support improved student achievement in science and mathematics.

Dr. Rebecca Boger, GLOBE Deputy Director for International/US Partnerships and Outreach Regional Director for Africa, travelled to Benin to present hearty congratulations to GLOBE participants in Benin, with special mention to those of CEG1 Lokossa. There, Dr. Boger gave a certificate of appreciation to Mrs. Stephanie GBETOHO, a pioneer GLOBE teacher, who has successfully led GLOBE activities in this school since its involvement in 1995. A Biology teacher and national GLOBE training team member, Mrs GBETOHO initiated malaria research with the students in 1997. She is still leading the research, each year sharing the project's objectives with new classes of GLOBE students.

At CEG1 Lokossa, GLOBE students collected daily atmospheric measurements at their atmosphere site and data were transmitted regularly to the GLOBE database for use by scientists worldwide.

To take advantage of their data, and aware that malaria is a widespread disease in tropical countries like theirs, and having observed that epidemic periods seemed to occur during the rainy seasons, the students decided to undertake a study related to this disease.

They decided to use GLOBE data (air temperature and rain amount, two key climatic variables) to verify the hypothesis that the maximum number of malaria cases occurred when the maximum amount of rain was collected. The investigation started in 1996.

With daily data collected each year, students calculated monthly air temperature, and provided calculations for the total monthly rainfall. Both results are registered in the same table. They used the table to draw a diagram called a "rain/temperature diagram" which serves to determine the seasons: two rainy seasons and two dry seasons characterized the Lokossa area.

Each year they obtained from the Regional Public Health Division (DDSP) of the Mono/Couffo Region, the statistics on malaria cases registered in health centres in their locality. This health information on malaria was also compiled in tabular format and served to explain, in the same manner as the atmospheric diagram, the evolution of monthly malaria cases.

After a comparative analysis of both the graphs and their knowledge on conditions necessary for the development of the anopheles mosquito, they reached the conclusions that:

• Malaria occurred during each of the 12 months of the year in Lokossa. In fact, the average observed temperature and humidity conditions are those required for the development of the anopheles mosquito, vector of the pathogenic agent for malaria.

• Generally, two periods of high numbers of malaria cases were observed which corresponded to the two annual rainy seasons. The number of cases fell with the onset of the dry season. Malaria is dependent on temperature and rain but rainfall appears to be a very sensitive determining factor due to its great variation during the year.

• The greatest peak of malaria cases was observed during the long rainy season and this peak appeared the month following the peak rainfall amount. In 2000, when only one rainy season was registered, only one peak in the number of malaria cases was observed. Sometimes the two peaks were equal in magnitude; this occurred when the amount of rainfall during the short rainy season was high.

The explanation proposed is that during the rainy season, water is abundant and stagnant pools of water are everywhere offering numerous places for the anopheles mosquito to lay their eggs and for the larvae to develop. In Lokossa, as well in all tropical regions, weather conditions are favourable to the development of the anopheles mosquito and the amount of water is an important variable: without water--no anopheles mosquito, without mosquito bites--no malaria. So, to avoid malaria we need to destroy as much as possible mosquito breeding areas.

Project results are used to enhance public awareness on the need to undertake emergency actions during rainy seasons to avoid malaria epidemics in the region. In addition to using mosquito nets during the night, people must intensify cleanliness in and around their dwellings thus destroying possible breeding grounds for mosquitos. As for the municipality, it needs to take emergency actions and increase the number of street gutters, ensure adequate drainage and eliminate street puddles.

In Benin, Dr. Boger also met with the USAID/Benin Director and the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. She presented GLOBE acknowledgments to both institutions for the partnership which is making GLOBE Benin a success.

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