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Mosquito control has been a point of focus in scientific communities, especially health-providing units. Various methods have been tried and many more still being developed to eliminate or reduce mosquito populace. Certain environmental issues related with chemical control of mosquitoes have convinced experts to opt for eco-friendly methods. Among those methods are the biological control methods, which suppress vector populations through introduction/manipulation of organisms (natural enemies, e.g., parasites, disease organisms and predatory animals). Present study was focused on using edible fish as predator of mosquito larvae. Experimental results revealed that, edible fish have tremendous potential to be used as larvivorous predator of mosquito. It was further found that, larvivorous fish (Gambusia Affinis), used in this study preferred live larvae when compared with commercial food. The rate of consumption was between 180 to 190 larvae per fish per day, and fish preferred live larvae (65.72%) over dead larval stuff (37.14%). Another aim of the study was to determine the effect of light and dark periods on larvae consumption and it revealed that 88.75% of larvae were eaten in the presence of light and only 51.25% in dark by the mosquito fish. In micro-field condition, out of 500 larvae, only 13 (2.6 %) larvae were left, whereas rest of the larvae were consumed by the fish. The study suggests the larvivorous fish to be tried as biological control agent for mosquitoes.

Fusarium wilt is the major constraint in chickpea cultivation. Developing wilt resistant genotype is the most effective means of wilt management in chickpea. MABC approach was used to develop wilt resistant genotypes. Experiment was carried out to estimate genetic parameters among 10 MABC lines of chickpea including three standard checks across three locations Viz., Gulbarga (L-1), Bidar (L-2) and Dharwad (L-3). Analysis of variance for mean sum of squares for important quantitative traits such as plant height (cm), number of primary branches per plant, number of pods per plant, grain yield per plant (g), 100 seed weight (g) and net plot yield (kg) revealed significant differences between the genotypes across the locations, except for plant height in L-3 indicating the existence of considerable amount of variability among the genotypes. This was evident by larger difference between minimum and maximum range value for traits under study across the locations. Narrow difference between phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) was observed for all traits except number of pods per plant in L-1 indicating negligible influence of external environment on the expression of traits. High heritability coupled high genetic advance expressed over per cent mean (GAM) was recorded for grain yield per plant, 100 seed weight and net plot yield in L-1, 100 seed weight and net plot yield in L-2 indicating preponderance of additive gene action, simple selection could be effective for improvement of these traits. Overall the performance of the two MABC lines SA-1 and SA-2 were better across all the three locations.

The proliferation of counterfeit and substandard medicines constitutes a major public health crisis in low- and middle-income countries, with The Gambia exemplifying regulatory fragility. This article contends that trademark infringement, often treated as a commercial issue, is a structural determinant of health, generating pathogenic legal exposures that intensify disease burden and inequity. A convergent mixed-methods design, grounded in legal epidemiology and health systems analysis, underpins the study. Quantitatively, it examines national data (2013–2023) on customs seizures, adverse drug reactions, and health facility records. Qualitatively, it integrates 32 semi-structured interviews with regulators, healthcare providers, and legal experts, alongside analysis of national and international policy frameworks. A literature synthesis situates The Gambia within the global counterfeit medicines burden, underscoring West Africa’s vulnerability due to porous borders, fragmented institutions, and the limited utility of mobile authentication in resource-constrained settings. Findings reveal profound systemic weaknesses: legal ambiguities, overlapping mandates, chronic underfunding of enforcement agencies, and limited public access to verified pharmaceutical data. Thematic analysis highlights policy incoherence and accountability gaps, while regression modelling demonstrates a significant link between weak trademark enforcement and counterfeit drug proliferation. The 2022 acute kidney injury outbreak from contaminated syrups illustrates these failures. The study concludes that combatting counterfeit medicines requires reframing trademark protection as a public health imperative. It recommends integrated legal-regulatory reform, multisectoral governance, capacity-building for enforcement bodies, and consumer empowerment through accessible verification tools. Embedding legal determinants into pharmaceutical policy offers a novel pathway to strengthening health security and restoring public trust in The Gambia and comparable contexts.