The Ifakara Health Institute, represented by Dr. Brian Tarimo, played a pivotal role in the development of the second edition of the report, Gene Drives for Malaria Control and Elimination in Africa. 

The comprehensive report, prepared for the African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), was officially launched last month during the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa. 

The report has drawn significant attention to innovative strategies for tackling malaria across the continent, particularly through the potential of Gene Drive technology.

Contributors to the Report

Authored by the African Union High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) and the APET Secretariat, the report brings together contributions from leading researchers across Africa. These include the late Mamadou Coulibaly from the Malaria Research and Training Center in Mali, Charles M. Mbogo of the Kenya Medical Research Institute, and Lea Pare Toe from the Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé in Burkina Faso. 

Dr. Tarimo, representing Ifakara Health Institute, was among the distinguished contributors, lending his expertise to the report's findings and recommendations. Gene Drive technology, a method that can potentially alter the genetic makeup of mosquito populations, is highlighted as a transformative tool in malaria control.

To read the report, visit this link: Gene Drives for Malaria Control and Elimination in Africa.