Vector-borne diseases pose a major public health challenge. Malaria, yellow fever, and dengue fever, all caused by mosquito-borne pathogens, claim thousands of lives each year worldwide. To enhance understanding of these diseases, the OpenUGR platform, managed by Ceprud UGR, offers the MOOC course ‘'Mosquitoes, Diseases, and Global Change’ which is taught in Spanish.The course has just concluded its second edition and has attracted over 2,000 participants since its launch in 2023.

Its success is attributed to being one of the few courses available on this topic in Spanish. It is fully accessible to people worldwide, though it holds particular relevance for Spain and Latin America, where mosquito-borne diseases are especially prevalent. A new edition will be held in 2025.

This course, coordinated by Dr. Josué Martínez de la Puente and Dr. Mario Garrido, features the participation of 20 researchers from institutions such as the University of Granada, various centres of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) including the Estación Biológica de Doñana, the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CISA-INIA, the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and other organizations.

The five-week MOOC provides a comprehensive understanding of the role mosquitoes play in disease transmission. Structured into five modules, it explores the biology of these insects, the pathogens they carry, methods for their study and control, the impact of global change on their populations and the diseases they spread, and strategies for effectively communicating research findings to society.

The course grants 2.5 ECTS credits from the University of Granada. As a MOOC, it is completely free of charge, with the option to obtain a certificate for 30 euros.