The Ifakara Health Institute has launched a new phase of the landmark Ifakara Millennium Birth Cohort (IMBC) study—now focusing on participants aged 25 to 27 years. This follow-up phase aims to investigate the long-term effects of early-life malaria exposure on health and developmental outcomes in adulthood.

Tracing a generation from infancy to adulthood
The original IMBC cohort was established between January 1998 and August 2000, comprising 6,706 individuals born within the Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) area of the Kilombero Valley, which covers parts of the Kilombero and Ulanga districts in Tanzania's Morogoro Region. 

Previous findings from this cohort showed that early access to treated mosquito nets was associated with improved child survival and better educational outcomes.
Learn more about earlier studies here.

New Focus: Adult health and economic wellbeing
The current phase of the study, running from August 2025 to June 2026, will assess the relationship between early-life malaria exposure and adult anthropometric measures—specifically weight, height, and blood pressure—in south-eastern Tanzania. In addition to physical health, researchers will investigate secondary outcomes such as employment status, family formation, and the health status of participants' children.

International collaboration
The study is led by Ifakara Health Institute scientist Sigilbert Mrema, who introduced the new phase and outlined its objectives during a kick-off meeting held in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. 

He is working in collaboration with Prof. Günther Fink of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and Prof. Joanna Schellenberg of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

Findings from this phase of the IMBC study are expected to provide critical insights into whether early childhood malaria exposure may contribute to chronic conditions such as hypertension in adulthood—an increasingly important issue in global health.

Read more about the (IMBC) study here.