Innovative Preventive and Resilience Approaches Against Aedes-linked Vector-borne Arboviral Diseases Threat and Epidemics Burden in Gulf Council Countries

Tambo, Ernest; El Dessouky, Ashraf G.; Khater, Emad I.M.

Integrating a contextual national 'One Health' approach is core in providing an integrated and improved understanding of human, animal, and environment interaction in tackling arboviral emerging threats and outbreaks. While concerted efforts in adapting the Sendai Framework Disaster Risk Reduction of United Nations is essential in reducing public health hazards, behavioral and environmental risks and implementing performancebased projects/programs that offer new opportunities for shared Aedes mosquitoes risk/burden reduction engagement in the GCC. Essentially, strengthening laboratory and epidemiological surveillance as well as insecticide resistance and monitoring Aedes mosquito behavior changes is needed to elucidate vector exposure versus immune profile diversity and phylogeography. The approach relies on generating comprehensive data to formulate reliable, effective, and sustainable decision-making policies, which can be used to inform projects and interventions in different vulnerable settings. This includes updates to travel information to protect pilgrims of Hajj and Umrah, and prevention and control packages on Zika, Chikungunya, and dengue co-infections. It has been noted that improving proven conventional entomological indices surveillance and monitoring analysis (i.e., house index; percentage of households with larvae or pupae and container index; percentage of water-holding containers with larvae or pupae/ containers and Breteau index; number of positive containers with larvae or pupae per 100 households inspected) is crucial. In addition, fine risk mapping and early warning systems implementation should be done for timely case detection and monitoring, enhanced risk communication and rapid actions against emerging local and global circulating Aedes-linked dengue and arboviral diseases threats and pandemics in Saudi Arabia, the GCC, and worldwide.