August 8, 2019
“Japan Mosquito Festival: Let’s Understand more about the World of Mosquitoes” was held with cooperation of many experts, companies and organizations at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation from June 29 to 30, 2019. Dr. Kazuyo Ichimori, the steering committee chairman of JAGntd and visiting professor of Nagasaki University, officiated as the executive committee chair of the event. Eisai also agreed with the purpose of this event, and supported an opportunity to spread “mosquitology” through the displays at the booth. The event was very successful with about 3,000 people attending in two days.
1. Background of All Japan Mosquito Festival (Announcement by Organizers)
There are still many mosquito-borne infectious diseases in the world, and they are prevalent especially in tropical and subtropical regions. In recent years, along with globalization and global warming, import cases and epidemics of these infectious diseases have been reported in Japan, and mosquito habitats are expanding. It is important to think about relationship between mosquitoes and humans because social and environmental factors, people's behaviors, cultures, knowledge, thoughts, and etc. have complex effects on distribution of these mosquitoes and the spread of mosquito-borne infectious diseases.
With this background in mind, organizers wanted to have an opportunity to increase the interests and concerns of experts as well as general public, by considering mosquitoes not only as disease vectors, but also as “mosquitology”, multifaceted world derived from mosquitoes.
2. Contents of All Japan Mosquito Festival
The venue was separated to 5 areas: Area 1 “playing with mosquitoes” to play with coloring books and origami, Area 2 “learning about mosquitoes” to learn about various things including types and distributions of mosquitoes as well as mosquito-borne infections, Area 3 “fighting mosquitoes” to learn how to fight mosquitoes including usage of insect repellent and activities in the communities, Area 4 “exploring mosquitoes” to observe the movement of flying mosquitoes and mosquito larvae, and to conduct an experiment, and Area 5 “considering about mosquitoes” to participate in the lectures by various experts about mosquitoes living in human society. Various exhibitions and workshops were provided in each area so that both adults and children can enjoy.
3. Displays at Eisai Booth
At Area 2: “learning about mosquitoes”, Eisai introduced that it supplies diethylcarbamazine (DEC), treatment for lymphatic filariasis (LF), free of charge to countries that need DEC through WHO in cooperation for global elimination program of LF. Furthermore, Eisai staff exhibited using “SPHERE”, a tangible earth, which can project information with the flow of time showed the supply of treatments to the world by the pharmaceutical companies, the change in LF elimination situation with the flow of time, as well as the spread of distribution habitat areas of Aedes albopictus, which mainly causes dengue fever, over the globe with the flow of time. Many people mainly children could touch “SPHERE” and learn.
Eisai actively utilizes opportunities such as events and lectures to dispatch the information about Neglected Tropical Disease (NTDs) including LF and the three major infectious diseases. By increasing awareness about these diseases, we aim to make these neglected diseases to be respected and to accelerate elimination. We will keep striving to strengthen our efforts toward eliminating NTDs and the three major infectious diseases by collaborating with both domestic and overseas partners.