Anopheles stephensi is an invasive malaria vector that is endemic to south Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. It was recently reported in the Horn of Africa countries including Djibouti (2012), Ethiopia, Sudan (2019), Somalia (2019) and most recently Nigeria (2020). This mosquito is a competent vector for both Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax. It is characterized by a high degree of behavioral plasticity and the ability to reproduce in various types of breeding sites including containers and therefore has the potential to propagate malaria transmission in rapidly urbanizing settings with poor drainage and disposal of waste containers. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on all countries to scale up surveillance efforts to detect and report invasion by this vector and institute appropriate and effective control mechanisms. In Kenya, the Division for National Malaria Program (DNMP) and its partners have been conducting entomological surveillance in all coastal and northern counties that are suspected to be at risk of An. stephensi invasion as well as in all counties at risk of malaria. These efforts were supported by molecular surveillance of all unidentified Anopheles mosquitoes from other studies conducted by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) to try and identify An. stephensi. In this article, we report the first detection of An. stephensi in two sub counties of Marsabit County, Kenya in December 2022. We used Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) as the primary method of identification and confirmed results using morphological keys and sequencing of the ITS2 region. With the detection of this vector in Kenya, there is an urgent need for intensified surveillance to determine its occurrence and distribution and develop tailored approaches towards control to prevent further spread.

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This intervention reduced overdiagnosis and overtreatment of malaria cases.

There is a growing need for research on culturally responsive psychotherapy to serve the diverse population of clients seeking mental health services. This study reviews the scarce research on Middle Eastern Americans, focusing specifically on Chaldean American culture. Although Chaldean Americans originate from a very traditional collectivistic culture, their culture is evolving as part of their acculturation process in America. This study presents a culturally grounded psychotherapeutic approach for working with Chaldean Americans by integrating Purnell’s Model of Cultural Competency, the Cultural Interviews from the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Psychological Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), and the cultural and historical contexts of Chaldean Americans. The resulting framework includes cultural considerations specific to Chaldean Americans that can be applied from the beginning of the clinical process until termination. The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of culture as an integral part of psychotherapy and to encourage future research to better understand people of unique cultural groups.

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