Consortium leader: School of Health Sciences of the Catholic University of Central Africa (École des Sciences de la Santé de l’Université Catholique d’Afrique Centrale – ESS-UCAC)
Consortium: ESS-UCAC, Marien Ngouabi University (UMNG), French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD)
Grant from the RESSAC programme: 112,350 euros
Plant biodiversity refers to a set of species that provide precious nourishment and protection to communities around the world. In the countries of the Congo Basin, it is the main resource at the origin of ecosystem equilibrium, profoundly marking the limits of the seasons and the cultures of indigenous peoples. But exploitation of these resources leads us to the current observation that climate change phenomena are gradually modifying the seasons and soil texture, with impact such as zoonosis emergence and expansion of vector-borne diseases including malaria, the world’s leading endemic.
In Cameroon and the Republic of Congo, the preventive component of malaria control is directed towards pharmacovigilance and the control of female anophelines, which are vectors of Plasmodium infection. The prevention component is also highly dependent on the climate in the regions and on the biodiversity of plant species, given that certain plants are commonly used within cultural communities in the prevention and treatment of malaria.
The objective of our study is to implement strategies to preserve the biodiversity of Congo Basin forest plants in order to improve malaria prevention and care. To this end, the study will start with the following three stages:
- Identification of plant species with anti-Plasmodium potential in the forests of the Boumba-et-Ngoko and Sangha departments in Cameroon and Congo respectively.
- Collection of natural Plasmodium falciparum isolates among asymptomatic populations in the communities of the related localities.
- Study of the antiparasitic properties of plant extracts on natural Plasmodium falciparum isolates at different stages of the development cycle.
A final major step will be to initiate and support local authorities in the preservation of plant species that demonstrate a pest-control effect. This study is a component of RESSAC, a programme on applied research in ecology and social sciences in support of the sustainable management of Central African forest ecosystems. RESSAC is funded by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) for a period of 24 months. The data to be collected will help to identify and characterize plant species that demonstrate pest-control potential and to implement a sustainable strategy for their preservation.
