A troublesome fly
In Africa, sleeping sickness (or trypanosomiasis) among cattle is still a major problem. This infectious disease, which is generally fatal if not treated, is transmitted by the tsetse fly (Glossina spp.). In infected zones, one sees milk and meat production fall. Because of the high danger of infection in some areas, one is also less likely to use cattle as draught animals, even though it is precisely such animals which could raise the yield of the fields. Yet higher agricultural production is a vital necessity in order to feed the rapidly growing population. Therefore, in many African countries people are trying to learn how to control the fly or the disease itself.

When the remedy is worse than the complaint
However, combating disease among cattle can have a harmful impact on the natural environment. When one eliminates the production-restraining factor, cattle breeding and crop-growing can be allowed to expand almost without limit. This leads to vegetation loss, with possible resultant soil erosion, and even the eradication of indigenous animals. It is therefore useful, when studying methods for fighting tropical diseases in a given region, to pay close attention to the condition of the natural environment in that area.
The goal of this project is to find a method to draw up maps of the fragility of the natural environment in the various administrative units (cantons) in Togo. Once one knows the degree of fragility of the different areas, one can take this factor into consideration before beginning to fight the disease. The most fragile areas, which thus have few reserves, will be considered last for combating disease.