Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET), Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Burkina Faso National Meteorological Agency

The core of the Burkina Faso Warning Advisory System (WAS) is a universally understood system based on colour-coded maps. Every day, the Barcelona Dust Regional Center is producing two maps with the warning levels for the next two days (D+1 and D+2) in the country’s thirteen regions. This clear, concise information is expected to help planning any activity vulnerable to airborne dust or activate services and procedures aimed at the mitigation of damages caused in public health or any other vulnerable sector, such as the meningococcal meningitis outbreaks that occurs in part of sub-Saharan Africa extending from Senegal to Ethiopia, including the entire territory of Burkina Faso. These outbreaks have a strong seasonal pattern – many studies have linked environmental conditions, such as low humidity and dusty conditions, to the time and place of infections. Researchers believe that inhalation of dust particles in hot dry weather may damage nose and throat mucosa creating favourable conditions for bacterial infection.