This fresh Ifakara Health Institute press release highlights a bold new chapter in malaria research in Tanzania. Scientists from the Ifakara Health Institute and the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), working with Imperial College London under the Transmission Zero programme, have achieved a landmark first: developing genetically modified mosquitoes in Africa that can block the spread of malaria.

Published on December 10, 2025, in Nature, the discovery marks a major scientific milestone—one led by African researchers, powered by local expertise, and carried out in Tanzania’s state-of-the-art containment facilities. 

The breakthrough shows that mosquitoes can be engineered to stop malaria parasites from developing, offering a potentially game-changing tool for a continent that bears the heaviest malaria burden in the world.

This pioneering work signals not only technological innovation, but a shift in global health leadership—putting African institutions at the centre of designing solutions for Africa.

Read the full press release below for details on the science, the team behind it, and what this means for the future of malaria elimination.

For the full press release, click here.