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Master ECOM-ALGER

"Journées des grands témoins" 2015 at Kinshasa

2015, February 23-28

Prof. Jean-Jacques MuyembeThe Master ECOM-ALGER, was established as part of the Unité de recherche et de formation Écologie des maladies infectieuses (URF ECMI), at the University of Kinshasa, to optimize eco-health research strategies against infectious agents and other health risks. Directed by Pr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, organized by Pr. Didier Bompangue and his team, the Master ECOM-ALGER was designed in 2014, in close collaboration with the staff of the Chrono-environment department, inspired by the DEA Environnement, santé, société (2000-2012) of the University of Franche-Comté. It has been supported through an inter-university convention joined by the Embassy of France in DRC. It trains students to integrate methods of ecology and epidemiology to analyze the causes of epidemics and ecosystem sensitivity to various environmental risks.

Since the master opening, students have renovated space, equipped with wifi and computers within the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Kinshasa.

Training room at the Faculty of Medicine

The “Journées des Grands témoins” are one of the highlights of the training cursus. Students present and discuss their research topic with internationally recognized researchers. Pr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, director of the National Institute of Biomedical Research (RDC), Dr. Gudrun Bornette, Pr. Patrick Giraudoux, Pr Frédéric Mauny from the UFC/CNRS research unit Chrono-environment (France), were the great witnesses of this first promotion. 23 students, most health professionals already inserted in the epidemiological surveillance systems of the country, presented their research internship projects on Ebola, river blindness, plague, cholera, sleeping sickness, malaria, leprosy, shigellosis, bacteremia multidrug-resistant germs, yellow fever, tuberculosis, traffic accidents, natural hazards, etc.

The Congolese-French staff of the Master ECOM-ALGER with the students, in front of the Public Health School where the "Great witness days" were hold

Financially supported by the Master ECOM-ALGER and the Institut Universitaire de France, the visit was an important step for further international action. It brought together scientists from various contributing disciplines (ecology, geography, health sciences, etc.) to carry out basic and applied research in relations between ecology, environment and health, close to the field, in connexion with local stakeholders who have to cope with prevention and control in DRC.

Video presentation of the "Journées des Grands témoins" 2015

Journées des grands témoins 2016 at Kinshasa

February, 25-26

Pr. Jean-Marie KayembeThe second class of students of the Master ECOM-ALGER held the "Journées des Grands Témoins" 2016 on the campus of the University of Kinshasa.

Pr. Jean-Marie Kayembe, dean of the faculty of Medicine, introduced the meeting and underlined the importance of the Master ECOM-ALGER for his faculty, the first to comply already with the LMD standards and its international dimension in DRC.

Four "Grands témoins" conferences were given:

Pr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe INRB Lessons learned from the recent Ebola epidemics in Africa
Pr. Frédéric Mauny UBFC/CNRS - Chrono-environment From epidemiology to environment
Dr. Emmanuel Garnier CNRS Realities and challenges of the debate on climate from past to present
Pr. Patrick Giraudoux UBFC/CNRS - Chrono-environment, GDRI, IUF Global changes, small mammal ecology and their impacts on regional systems

The 23 students presented their own research projects including malaria, STD, typhoid perforation, occupational accidents, antibiotic resistance, nosocomial diseases, pian, schistosomiases, Buruli ulcer, diarrheic diseases, cholera, traffic accidents, chronic and acute malnutrition, monkey pox, pollution by pesticides, all health issues of major importance in DRC.

Great Witness days attendees

Journées des grands témoins 2017 at Kinshasa

March, 2-3

The third generation of graduate students of the Master ECOM-ALGER held the "Journées des Grands Témoins" 2017 on the campus of the University of Kinshasa. Five "Grands témoins" conferences were given:

Dir. Benoit Kebela Ilunga Direction du Ministère de la santé La surveillance épidémiologique des maladies en RDC : hier, aujourd’hui et demain
Pr. Patrick Giraudoux UBFC/CNRS - Chrono-environment, GDRI, IUF Équilibre écologique et santé des écosystèmes: entre mythe biologique et consensus social
Pr. Jean-Paul Gonzalez Center of Excellence for Emerging & Zoonotic Animal Disease, Kansas State University Conditions et territoire d’émergence des pathologies: évolution et permanence des acteurs
Pr. Léon Tshilolo Centre d’étude et de formation appliquée, hopital de Monkole, Université de Bujimay Drépanocytoses et infections
Dr Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele OMS Les dernières recommandations de l’OMS sur la vaccination

From left to right: Benoit Kebela Ilunga, Patrick Giraudoux, Jean-Paul Gonzalez, Leon Tshilolo, Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele

More than 110 people attended the conferences and 22 student’s presentations. Students are now working in their respective host lab. The next meeting will be in July for the oral presentation of their work.

2019: Celebration of the 5th year of the Master ECOM-ALGER and oral presentations of student research

July, 11-12

The fifth generation of graduate students of the Master ECOM-ALGER have presented their work to get the first year diploma. 11 research papers were presented, many related to the eco-epidemiology and ecohealth focus of the GDRI EHEDE.

Facteurs de redémarrage des épidémies de choléra dans la zone de santé de Fizi de 2005 à 2018
Profils des patients drepanocytaires decedes au centre de medecine mixte et d’anemie ss de 2015-2019.
Facteurs associés a la fréquence élevée d’abandon de la vaccination de routine chez les enfants de 12 a 23 mois a Kinshasa, cas de la zone de santé de mont Ngafula
Facteurs associes a la persistence de la malnutrition chez les enfants de 0 a 59 mois dans la zone de sante de kahemba, province du kwango de 2013-2018
Bilan et profil des épidémies de méningites en Afrique de 1928 à 2018
Persistance de la maladie à virus Ebola dans la province du Nord-Kivu
Cartographie des espaces a risque d’exposition a la maladie a virus ebola en republique democratique du congo
Distribution spatio temporelle de schistosomiase a schistosoma haematobium dans la zone de sante rurale de kimpese de 2011 a 2018
Facteurs lies a la trypanosomiase humaine africaine dans la zone de sante urbano-rurale de bandundu de 2014 a 2018
Infections respiratoires aiguës en milieu rural et urbain du Kongo-Central : profil épidémiologique et clinique et facteurs associés
Evaluation comparée de profils évolutifs des blessés de guerre dans deux unités médicales des Forces Armées de la République du Congo de 2012 à 2018

A one year gap due to political instability prevented UFC partners to participate to the jury in 2018. Profs Patrick Giraudoux and Frédéric Mauny (Chrono-environment) participated this year, and Patrick Giraudoux has been asked to give an introduction talk about the world context of ecohealth and the history of the Master ECOM-ALGER. An editorial on that issue is published in French and in English in the Annales africaines de Médecine.

The delegation visited the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) on July 13. INRB is headed by Prof. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, also the director of the Master ECOM-ALGER. New buildings with P3 labs are currently under construction at the INRB.

The steering committee of the Master was hold at the INRB.

2020: Journées des Grands témoins at Kinshasa

March, 3-7

  • The "Grands témoins" of the 6th promotion of the Master ECOM-ALGER have been held on March 3-4. The "Grands témoins" were Pr. Jérôme Boissier (Université de Perpignan), Dr. Francisco Veas (IRD) and Pr. Patrick Giraudoux (Université de Franche-Comté, GDRI EHEDE).
  • A cooperation agreement between the University of Franche-Comté and the University of Kinshasa signed by the parties was conveyed to Pr. Jean-Marie Kayembé, dean of the Faculty of Medicine.
  • Additionnally, Jérôme Boissier and Patrick Giraudoux gave lectures in basic and parasite ecology.
  • All French participants met with Pr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe in the new building of the Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale (new P2 and P3 facilities, etc.)








2020: Master dissertation viva at Kinshasa in visioconference

November, 10-11

The COVID-19 pandemics preventing travels to Kinshasa, the vivas of the 6th student cohort was hold with a jury mixing professors resident* and professors participating by visioconference from Besançon**. See video below.

Viva presentation at Kinshasa

* Jean-Marie Kayembe Ntumba, Erick Kamangu, Bienvenu Lebwaze, Octavie Lunguya, Paul Mansiangi, Céline Sikulisimwa, Paul Mansiangi, Hyppolyte Sitwakibanza, Emmanuel Nzau, Pépé Ekulu, Marie Claire Muyer Miel Telo, Leon Tshilolo, Pius Kabututu, Richard Matanda Nzanza, Dickson Vehi Tadulu
** Gudrun Bornette, Patrick Giraudoux, Frédéric Grenouillet, Frédéric Mauny, Francis Raoul

2022: Journées des Grands témoins at Kinshasa

May 23-31

  • After two years of COVID19 pandemic when participation in person was impossible, the "Grands témoins" of the 8th promotion of the Master ECOM-ALGER have been held on May 24-25. Introduced by Pr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the "Grand témoins" where the followings:

Radio Top Congo 22/05/28
  • Individual review of each project (27 students, i.e. 19 from Master 1 and 8 from Master 2) has been carried out by the Master staff (Didier Bompangue, Nadège Taty, Annie Mutombo permanently) and Patrick Giraudoux, from May 26 to 30, including Sunday). A One Health conference has been eventually given for students and staff on May 30.

  • During his stay Pr. Patrick Giraudoux met Pr. Jean-Marie Kayembe, now rector of the University of Kinshasa, Pr. Roger Mbungu, dean of the Faculty of medicine, Mrs. Laurence Paris, Cooperation Attaché for French, and Dr. Gilles Chaumentin, Regional Health Counsellor at the French Embassy. The conclusions of those meetings have been reported to the COMUE, UFC and Chrono-environment directions.

Contact:

Dr. Didier Bompangue,
URF ECMI of the University of Kinshasa
UMR UFC/CNRS Chrono-environment

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