RESUMO
Underrepresentation of women in scientific leadership is a global problem. To understand and counter narratives that limit gender equity in African science, we conducted a public engagement campaign. Scientists representing six sub-Saharan African countries and multiple career stages used superhero imagery to create a diverse and unified team advocating for gender equity in science. In contrast to many traditional scientific environments and global campaigns, this "PowerPack of SuperScientists" was led by early-career Black female scientists whose perspectives are often under-represented in discussions about gender equity in science. The superhero imagery served as a powerful and fun antidote to imposter syndrome and helped to subvert traditional power structures based on age, race and sex. In an interactive social media campaign, the PowerPack developed insights into three themes: a) cultural stereotypes that limit women's scientific careers, b) the perception of a "conflict" between family and career responsibilities for women scientists, and c) solutions that can be adopted by key stakeholders to promote gender equity in African science. The PowerPack proposed solutions that could be undertaken by women working individually or collectively and interventions that require allyship from men, commitment from scientific institutions, and wider societal change. Further work is required to fully engage African scientists from even more diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds and institutions in these solutions and to enhance commitment by different stakeholders to achieving gender equity in science. Our experience suggests that creative tools should be used to subvert power dynamics and bring fresh perspectives and urgency to this topic.
RESUMO
Malaria remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and tissue-dwelling helminth parasites (TDHPs) are also prevalent in this region presenting a geographical overlap in endemicity. There is paucity of information on the specific host immune responses elicited at different phases of the life cycle by the co-infecting helminth parasites. This study aimed at using a laboratory animal model to determine selected chemokine, cytokine and hematological profiles in Sprague-Dawley rats co-infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA (Pb) and a tissue-dwelling nematode, Trichinella zimbabwensis (Tz). One-hundred-and-sixty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats (90-150g) were randomly divided into four experimental groups; Control (n = 42), Pb-infected (n = 42), Tz-infected (n = 42) and Pb + Tz-infected group (n = 42). Trichinella zimbabwensis infection (3 muscle larvae/g body weight per os) was done on day 0 while intra-peritoneal Pb infection (105 parasitised RBCs) was done at day 28 of the 42-day experimental study for the co-infection group which corresponded with day 0 of the Pb group on the protocol. Haematological parameters, cytokines (TNF-α, IL-10, IL-4, IL-6), chemokines (CXCL10, CCL5, CCL11) and burden of Tz adult worms and muscle larvae burden were determined as per need for each group. Results showed that Tz infection predisposed the co-infected animals towards rapid development of Pb parasitaemia during co-infection, reaching a higher peak percentage parasitaemia at day 7 post-infection than the Pb mono-infected group at day 6 post-infection. Animals in the co-infected group also exhibited severe anaemia, basophilia, neutrophilia, eosinophilia and lymphopenia at day 7 post Pb infection compared to the control groups. Significant elevation of Pb parasitaemia coincided with elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α (P < 0.001), regulatory anti-inflammatory IL-10 (P < 0.001), and pro-inflammatory chemokines CXCL10 (P < 0.001) concentration in comparison to control group, at day 7 post Pb infection. Our results confirm that co-infection of Pb with Tz resulted in increased Pb parasitaemia compared to the control group in the early stages of infection and this might translate to severe malaria.
