From 20th to 24th April 2026, the MoDD Africa Project within the Ifakara Health Institute held its Hackathon 2026 in Zanzibar, bringing together members of the regional and country hub analytical clusters from Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Nigeria, alongside collaborators from Vector Atlas and the Malaria Atlas Project Dar es Salaam Node (MAP).

The hackathon focused on understanding how mosquito populations respond to climate and environmental change. Participants worked with real climate and entomological datasets to explore three key questions: changes in vector abundance over space and time, shifts in vector behaviour and life history, and variations in vectorial capacity under environmental change.

The week combined hands-on modelling, teamwork, and daily knowledge-sharing sessions. On Day 2, participants collectively refined their approach after identifying overlapping model parameters, leading to a new shared modelling framework and reorganised teams.

By the end of the five days, teams had produced prototype models, datasets, visualisations, and preliminary findings presented through group presentations and discussions. Beyond technical outputs, the hackathon strengthened collaboration across countries and built modelling capacity within the MoDD Africa network. 

The analytical cluster will continue refining the prototype models with ongoing mentorship, with outputs expected to support better understanding of vector dynamics and inform future decision-making across partner countries.