Announcements 2018
5th Annual UB Open Day and Expo: November 2018
BVEC was invited to be a part of the 5th Annual UB Science Fair in November 2018 which was bigger than the previous year. BVEC was also a proud sponsor and stakeholder for the event. There was a bigger turnout of students who were are actively engaged and asking questions. Students from primary to tertiary level as well as members of the Belmopan community came out to learn about the different vectors and to gain knowledge on threats such as the Zika virus and preventative methods.
Corozal Junior College Presentation on Vector Borne Diseases: November 2018
In the beginning of November 2018, BVEC was contacted by the Mr. Jorge Trejo, a Biology Lecturer at the Corozal Junior College in Corozal District, Belize. Mr. Trejo was the former lecturer of both Donovan and Marie in the past and they both represented BVEC for the presentation. Donovan and Cathy presented on a brief history of the BVEC field station, active partners and research projects they have done in country. Since it was a Biology class, they shared information on basic knowledge on all vectors as well as mosquito anatomy and behavior. They complemented the presentation with some education on how to prevent mosquito borne diseases and some of the initiative that BVEC is currently engaged in with vector surveillance.
ORANGE WALK ITVET Health and Wellness Fair: October 9, 2018
On October 9th, 2018, BVEC was invited to set up a booth at the ITVET compound for a health and wellness activity event at the school. Students from both ITVET and Bishop Martin Highschool went by to check out the different booths. BVEC was represented by Alvaro Cruz and Marie Pott who explained about the common vectors and vector borne diseases in Belize and what we can do as Belizeans to make a difference.
ORANGE WALK TOWN WELLNESS ACTIVITY: July 28, 2018
On July 28th, 2018, BVEC was invited to be a part of a Wellness Activity in Orange Walk Town, Belize. This Wellness Activity was organized by HECOPAB from the Ministry of Health. The Wellness Activity focused on Intellectual Wellness, Occupational Wellness and Environmental Wellness. BVEC was invited to do a segment on vector education for the Environmental Wellness segment. BVEC was represented by Marie Pott, Andrew Cameron (University of Notre Dame, Biology Undergraduate), Lily McNulty (Indiana University) and Donovan Leiva who set up a booth and participated for the morning event.
Projects Abroad San Pedro Health Fair: July 7, 2018
On July 7th, 2018, BVEC was invited to be a part of a health fair in San Pedro Town, Belize. This Health Fair was organized by Projects Abroad who is an NGO that trains young volunteers on health related issues. Diomne Habet of Projects Abroad was aware of the work that BVEC does and had reached out to us in order to spread awareness about vectors and vector borne diseases. BVEC was represented by Marie Pott and Donovan Leiva who set up a booth and participated for the all-day event.
5th Annual UB Biology-Chemistry Symposium: Wednesday, May 16, 2018
As one of the main sponsors of the UB Symposium, we attend this event yearly to embrace the work of local students in the different fields of Science. Every year, University of Notre Dame students also take part in the symposium to showcase the different projects they are working on in-country and to inspire the young Belizean scientific community to pursue research in the fields of medical entomology.
San Felipe Wellness Fair: Saturday, May 5, 2018
This activity focused on wellness and disease prevention. BVEC's role in this activity was to educate the community on types of mosquitoes and the disease that they transmit, with a focus on prevention of mosquito-borne diseases.
Santa Cruz Wellness Activity: Friday, April 30, 2018
This activity was geared at educating Primary School students from the Infant and Upper Division at the Santa Cruz Government School. A total of 70 students were engaged in a very dynamic session about the primary vectors in Belize, the diseases that they transmit, and how to treat and prevent these diseases.
PAHO presentation in March 2018
BVEC was presenting its work and research at a reginoal technical meeting of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
PAHO promotes technical cooperation between countries and works in partnership with ministries of health and other government agencies, civil society organizations, other international agencies, universities, social security agencies, community groups, and other partners. PAHO promotes the inclusion of health in all public policies and the engagement of all sectors in efforts to ensure that people live longer, healthier lives, with good health as their most valuable resource. To know more about PAHO, click here.
Presentation at Belmopan Comprehensive High School
On February 2, 2018 Donovan Leiva from BVEC was giving a presentation at the Belmopan Comprehensive High School to introduce the students to general mosquito knowledge, mosquito borne diseases (Dengue, Chikingunya, Zika and Malaria). He also demonstrates the use of BG sentinel and Ovitraps.
IMPACTS ANNUAL MEETING: FEBRUARY 25, 2018
On February 25th 2019, BVEC hosted an Annual Meeting event to showcase the data collected towards the vector surveillance component of the IMPACTS project. The surveillance data was presented by BVEC directors Dr. John Grieco and Dr. Nicole Achee. The meeting was first held in Belize City, followed by a field visit. It was attended by members of the Ministry of Health of Belize, University of Belize, Mayo Clinic, members of the Eck Institute for Global Health of Notre Dame as well as the BVEC team.
Muffles High School Science Fair Judging: Friday, January 26, 2018
In this event, BVEC senior staff serve as judges for Science Fair projects created/designed by High School Students. The main goal is to promote Science in young minds and embrace the bright minds of our young scientific community by providing guidance and mentorship.