In December 2024, Elisa Mora and Alex Richter-Boix (CEAB-CSIC), members of the E4Warning consortium, participated as invited speakers at the EMCA workshop “Dialogue with Wings: Communicating Mosquito Science Effectively”, held at the SUPSI Campus in Mendrisio, Switzerland. The event brought together experts and practitioners from 14 countries to explore innovative ways to communicate mosquito science and mosquito-borne diseases.

Elisa and Alex shared their experiences with the citizen science initiative Mosquito Alert, emphasizing how it has effectively communicated complex topics like mosquito ecology and vector-borne diseases to the public and stakeholders. Elisa Mora also participated in a plenary roundtable moderated by David T. Dyjack (National Environmental Health Association) and joined by Ljubica Latinovic (World Health Organization), Andrea Delucchi (Institute of Design SUPSI), and journalist Julian Michaels (Radiotelevisione Svizzera).

During the second day, they led one of the hands-on workshops focused on communication strategies. The session was part of a broader program attended by 77 participants, which explored six key themes over three days:

• Risk Communication
• Visual Communication
• Community Engagement
• Stakeholder Communication
• Media Relations
• Funding for Communication

Through interactive activities and real-world scenarios, participants gained practical tools to adapt their messaging to diverse audiences, foster partnerships, and counter misinformation.

Exploring Sterile Insect Technology (SIT) Communication

The workshop concluded with an EMCA side-event dedicated to communication strategies for the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), a groundbreaking method to control Aedes mosquito populations by releasing sterilized insects. Case studies highlighted SIT initiatives in regions such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, French Polynesia, La Réunion, Tunisia, Florida (USA), and parts of Africa. Charles m’Bogo (PAMCA) shared insights from the African context.

Discussions focused on the challenges of engaging stakeholders and citizens in SIT programs and the difficulties encountered in communicating these innovative technologies. The participants explored the possibility of collaborating on a unified document of best practices for SIT communication, paving the way for more effective and globally consistent outreach efforts.

The workshop not only strengthened the knowledge and tools available for mosquito-related communication but also reinforced the importance of collaboration across sectors and countries in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases.

Find all the details of the agenda here: https://www.emca-online.eu/assets/PDFs/2024_Switzerland/2024_TDR_SIT_FINAL_AGENDA.pdf