Awards of Excellence of the ISCTRC in Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the International Scientific Council for Trypanosomiasis Research and Control (ISCTRC)
For the commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the ISCTRC to be marked during the 35th General Conference of the ISCTRC to be held in Abuja, Nigeria on the 23rd to 27th September 2019, a decision has been made to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions, in the last 10 year, towards the mission and values of ISCTRC. These awards will consist of Plaques, Medallions and certificates. Recipients of these awards exemplify excellence and are representatives of the best in their fields. They have consistently excelled in their positions and demonstrated integrity and a strong commitment to the mission and values of ISCTRC. These awards will be presented on behalf of the Chairperson of the Africa Union Commission and the Thirty Eight (38) countries affected by tsetse flies and human and animal trypanosomiasis.
The recipients were nominated by the ISCTRC fraternity based on a specified criteria and eventually selected by a committee appointed by the Director of AU-IBAR.
Nominees for Awards
Gold Medal, Plaque and certificate
Diagnostics
1. Prof Philippe Buscher is a highly regarded Diagnostics scientist involved in developing diagnostic tools that have contributed immensely to the success in the control of Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), focusing mainly on improved diagnosis. Some of the several diagnostics tools he has developed include CAT, mAECT, TDRs, ELISA, PCRs, and Trypanolysis. Prof. Büscher has co-authored more than 170 articles in peer reviewed journals and more than 10 book chapters. He has participated in several European projects and is a member of the World Health Organization Network for Human African Trypanosomiasis Elimination and is steering committee member of the project on African trypananosomiasis of GALVmed. He advises the Scientific Committee of the Belgian Federal Agency for Food Safety on the diagnosis of dourine (T. equiperdum) and is Associate Editor of PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Control of Tsetse (SIT)
2. Dr. Marc J.B. Vreysen is recognised for his role in Control of Tsetse (SIT). He has 30 years of experience with area-wide integrated pest management approaches and the sterile insect technique for major insect pests of crops, livestock and human health. His over 30 years of experience has involved 12 years working and living in sub-Saharan Africa, where he guided and advised SIT programmes against tsetse flies, including the successful tsetse eradication programme on Zanzibar Island. He has been working for the FAO and IAEA since 1987, of which the last 11 years as the Head of the Insect Pest Control Laboratory in Seibersdorf.
3. Dr. Udo Feldmann is a recognized Entomologist in Insect Pest Control techniques. He has more than 30 years’ experience in laboratory and field support to tsetse intervention projects, including four years of assignment in East and West Africa. Dr. Udo is recognized for advancing the use of Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) for eradication of tsetse flies in Zanzibar and other parts of the continent. A highlight of the work in the past 20 years was the conversion of Zanzibar to a tsetse fly free zone in 1997 by means of an area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) campaign involving the SIT.