20Mar 25
Over the past few years, researchers at the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) have been engaging key stakeholders across Africa in a series of in-depth discussions aimed at exploring the potential of gene drives for malaria control. The project, named “African Conversations” recently convened experts in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, for a Scenario Planning Workshop. A diverse group of stakeholders from across Africa participated to discuss the potential of integrating gene drive mosquitoes into malaria control efforts.
Participants of the Scenario Planning Workshop co-hosted by the Ifakara Health Institute and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH). Photograph: Ifakara Health Institute
The workshop brought together key decision makers and stakeholders from Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Tanzania, representing research and academic institutions, regulatory authorities, faith-based institutions, civil society organizations, National Malaria Control Programmes, as well as government officials from the President’s Office and regional administrations. Over the course of three days, participants engaged in discussions on the findings of the African Conversations activities. They also collaboratively developed scenarios for integrating gene drive technologies into malaria control efforts and proposed strategic action plans to address potential challenges and opportunities.
Participants of the Scenario Planning Workshop co-hosted by the Ifakara Health Institute and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH). Photograph: Ifakara Health Institute
When developing scenarios, some of the key considerations put forward included the importance of establishing a comprehensive protocol outlining the identification of potential sites for releases, species of interest and relevant strategies, as well as the importance of objective monitoring and communications to inform on progress. Participants also emphasized the need for rigorous monitoring of malaria prevalence and incidence, shifts in vector populations and behaviors, changes in human behavior and potential impacts on non-target vector species. Insights from the discussion on potential scenarios for concerns underlined the need for robust regulatory frameworks, community involvement, sufficient expertise and adequate infrastructure to support the safe and effective implementation and responsible governance of gene drive mosquitoes. Participants also highlighted the importance of considering potential transboundary movement and ensuring the credibility of implementing organizations.
Participants proposed several actions plans. These included the need for a structured, transparent and inclusive approach to integrating gene drive technologies into malaria control efforts. They highlighted the need for clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of all relevant institutions to ensure coordinated implementation, and stressed the need to build local expertise, infrastructure, and research facilities to generate, monitor and communicate evidence. Additionally, they called for early and continuous engagement with communities and stakeholders, and for the establishment of real-time monitoring mechanisms to track potential concerns and enable proactive responses. Stakeholders assigned specific responsibilities to individuals or groups and outlined proposed timelines for the implementation of these actions.
The workshop was a collaborative effort between the Ifakara Health Institute and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH). By combining innovative solutions with strategic planning, this initiative enabled participants to work together and explore how gene drive technologies could be responsibly integrated into malaria control efforts across the continent.
