AMMA RVF Senegal project is the logical/historical follow-up of the EMERCASE project.

EMERCASE, started in July 2000, as a project from the S2E consortium and was to identify and study the key biological and environmental factors triggering outbreaks of the Rift Valley Fever (RVF).

The RVF surveillance network included local research team and public health services, as well as local administration managing changes of environment in Senegal & southern Mauritania.

Through an integrative new approach with scientific, methodological and technical issues, the S2E consortium started a new activity for early warning operational systems, and was able to warn and predict for the first time the geographical extension of RVF epidemics.

The integrative approach includes three main objectives :

• Deployment of in-situ Health Information Systems (epidemiological networks) for data collection, early information transfer and real-time management;
• Use of bio-mathematical modelling of RVF epidemic dynamics ( a quantitative approach of risks), which integrates transportation processes, pathogens and vectors dynamics, hosts and physical & socio-ecological environment;
• Remote sensing approach (environmental approach), which measures and quantify ’epidemics co-factors’ such as vegetation, hydrology, forest, coverage, meteorology, population…;

The Rift Valley Fever was chosen as a so-called “pilot disease” because of:

* Its public health and economical impacts (RVF is a priority for FAO, OIE and WHO),

* The high level of environmental factors involved in the development and diffusion of the disease and the geographical extent.