VECT-OH International Key Initiative

A global alliance for sustainable risk mitigation in a one-health approach.

The key international initiative 'VECT-OH: A Global Alliance for Sustainable Vector Risk Mitigation in a One Health Approach' is being developed at the University as part of the UM2030 project, winner of the Call for Projects "Integration and Development of IdEx and ISITE"(IDéES). The aim of the initiative is to mobilize and unite the international scientific community around key challenges and major issues related to insect and arthropod vectors and the diseases they transmit to humans, animals and plants. The consortium formed around UM's partner universities promotes integrative research, applying the "One Health/One Seule Santé" approach to the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases. Its ambition is to transcend traditional bilateral collaborations by identifying high value-added, cross-disciplinary issues that can be applied on a regional scale, bringing together donors and stakeholders for sustainable vector risk management in the light of climate change. The scientific focus is on the vector risk associated with the (re)vegetation of cities, in line with the expertise represented within the consortium and the agendas of local partners in the regions where the consortium is based.

Objectives

The VECT-OH initiative aims to :

• Build, federate and lead a research and expertise community around the issue of vectors and vector-borne diseases, with a focus on interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral integrative approaches between human, animal, plant and environmental public health,  
• Support local research activities on the subject to develop synergies between teams and promote standardized, reproducible approaches,
• Seek external funding to develop international research activities,
• Generate the scientific evidence and tools needed for public policy-makers to make the right decisions for sustainable vector risk management.

The initiative offers :

• Funding opportunities for local research activities on the theme
• Opportunities for sharing data and experience between partners
• The development of an international community of players on the topic
• Opportunities to publish scientific and technical documents for a variety of audiences,
• International visibility for research themes, the chance to take part in international events and networking opportunities for young researchers.

Program

The consortium organizes an annual face-to-face workshop in Montpellier.

In 2022, the first workshop identified the issue of vector risk associated with the (re)vegetation of cities as a priority area for research, and a roadmap was drawn up to bring together all the players involved in this field. One of the first points on the roadmap was to carry out a systematic review of the literature on the relationship between urban vegetation, vectors and vector risk.

The 2023 workshop combined field site visits to compare the experimental protocols used by the various partners to monitor vector populations, with collective discussions on standardizing protocols that led to the co-construction of a collective response to a call for Biodiversa+ projects mobilizing all eligible partners.

The 2024 workshop was organized in conjunction with the XXIIIrd conference of the European Society for Vector Ecology, which brought together over 450 participants in Montpellier around the theme "One Health in Action".

The workshop provided an opportunity to take stock of local initiatives, finalize the consortium's first joint publication, and draft the Biodivecity project, selected in response to the Biodiversa+ 2024 call for projects.

During the 2025 workshop, we first received the actors of the 'Climate café' project, which aims to map nature-based solutions in cities worldwide, and were able to map over 80 of these solutions in Montpellier. We then held the annual meeting of the Biodivecity project, which began in April 2025, during which we were able to finalize the standardized protocols by putting them into practice in the field.

The actors

The 'VECT-OH: A Global Alliance for Sustainable Vector Risk Mitigation in a One Health Approach' initiative brings together research teams from 7 universities and research institutes in the North and South, all long-standing strategic partners of the UM, working on the theme of vectors and vector risk. All the partners are involved in collaborative research projects, pooling their experience, expertise and resources to co-construct and develop innovative and unifying areas of research. The consortium is open to other research teams and institutional partners.    

Governance

The VECT-OH initiative is led from Montpellier by Frédéric Simard (DR IRD, DU MIVEGEC) and Mathilde Mercat (Postdoc UM). Coordination of the various research actions supported by the initiative is entrusted to the various partners, who meet regularly remotely and at least once a year face-to-face in Montpellier.

7 Partners

• Europe
  • University of Montpellier (UM), FR
  • University of Barcelona (UB), SP
  • Netherlands Institute for Vectors, Invasive plants and Plant health (NIVIP), NL
  • Wageningen University and Research (WUR), NL
• North America
  • University of California Davis (UC Davis), USA
• Africa
  • University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar (UCAD), SN
  • Agronomy and Veterinary Institute Hassan II (IAV Hassan II), MA

The productions

• Posters presenting the VECT-OH initiative at the E-Sove 2024 congress
• Literature review (scoping) on vector-borne risk and green cities: Mercat, M., Bartholomée, C., Fournet, F., Alcover Amengual, M., Bourquia, M., Bouhsira, E., ... & Simard, F. (2025). Green cities and the risk for vector-borne disease transmission for humans and animals: a scoping review. Peer Community Journal, 5.

Current projects

• BiodiVecity (April 2025-April 2028)(WUR, NIVIP, UM, UB, IAV): Impact of different levels of urban vegetation on vectors and vector-borne diseases.