From November 20–24, 2025, project members from the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) and partner institutions gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for the AnoSTEP AfriKa Annual Meeting, an important annual platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and strategic planning.

The four-day event brought together about 30 representatives from across the AnoSTEP consortium a network of African and UK institutions including the Osun State University Nigeria , KEMRI (Kenya), Armauer Hansen Research Institute (Ethiopia), Djibouti National Molecular Biology Laboratory, University of Glasgow, and University of Lancaster, Wellcome Sanger Institute along with in-country National Malaria Control Programmes (NMCPs), virtual advisory board participants, and the funding partner, Wellcome Trust.

Country Updates & Key Highlights

During the Annual Meeting, country teams and Work Package leads presented their progress updates, highlighted challenges, and raised key issues for collective discussion.

The Kenya team whose update was delivered by Brian Polo, a PhD student on the project—emphasized the introduction of newly trained Community Health Promoters (CHPs). “Using CHPs has helped us identify new habitat types that we hadn’t previously considered, expanding our understanding of An. stephensi,” Mr. Polo noted.

From Ethiopia, Dr. Tadesse reported strong progress in data collection despite facing access limitations caused by unrest in some regions. He explained that the team is applying the project’s Bayesian modelling approach to identify alternative sampling sites when needed, allowing activities to continue without interruption. A similar challenge was shared by the Nigeria team, who are working to extend their collection sites across additional ports. Despite logistical constraints.

Nigeria has begun data collection and highlighted their use of trained students—an approach that supports the project’s broader goal of strengthening An. stephensi identification capacity across the continent.

In Djibouti where genetically modified mosquitoes are currently being trialed teams have been working at an accelerated pace to ensure that the adult mosquitoes captured by the project are not part of the released modified population. Their update included progress on both sample collection and personnel training.

Technical Guidance & Expert Input

In addition, Dr. Luigi and Dr. Xiaoxi Pang provided expert input on the application of Bayesian modelling for site selection, reinforcing how statistical inference can support field teams when access challenges or environmental changes arise. Dr. Heather Ferguson from the University of Glasgow offered valuable advice on the technical aspects of the Latin Square study design, which is expected to be implemented next year to strengthen experimental rigor and harmonize evaluation methods across study sites.

The meeting was also joined by the Advisory Board, a group of seven experts representing. Their insights, advice, and questions provided valuable guidance as the project prepares to enter its second year. Dr. Katherine Davis, Research Manager in the Vector Control and Therapeutics team at Wellcome, commended the impressive progress achieved so far and offered targeted feedback on several components of the work.

Field Visit to Machakos

Following the in-room technical sessions, participants conducted a field visit to Machakos, where mosquito collection is ongoing in Kenya. Although only one Anopheles mosquito was found during the visit, the exercise facilitated rich exchanges between teams on field methods, collection practices, and sample preservation techniques used across different countries.

Strengthening Coordination Across Africa

Throughout the meeting, the Principal Investigator, Dr. Samson Kiware, acknowledged the significant progress made and underscored the importance of harmonizing work packages, deliverables, and data quality processes across all countries. With VBDs360 enabling real-time visualization of data from every site, the project is well-positioned to maintain consistency and enhance data-driven decision-making.

The AnoSTEP Annual Meeting provided far more than updates—it created a collaborative space for learning, connection, and shared problem-solving, strengthening the collective effort to advance innovations and understanding in the surveillance of An. stephensi across Africa.The gathering further strengthened coordination across countries and institutions, ensuring that the project will continue to generate and translate high-quality evidence into meaningful impact.

About AnoSTEP AfriKa

AnoSTEP AfriKa studies the invasive malaria vector Anopheles stephensi to understand its role in malaria transmission across urban, peri-urban, and rural settings in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. 

The four-year project (2025–2028), led by Dr. Samson Kiware at Ifakara Health Institute, unites African and UK institutions to understand the biology and public health importance of Anopheles stephensi in Africa, build regional capacity and improve preparedness for emerging vector-borne disease threats.

Learn more about AnoSTEP AfriKa here.