A Visit and Declaration from the President of the National Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
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On the 19th of July 2024, the Institute of Research in Health Sciences (Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé – IRSS), home of Target Malaria Burkina Faso, was honoured to host the President and a delegation of The National Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters (Académie Nationale des Sciences, Arts et des Lettres – ANSAL), Dr. Paco Sérémé.
The Academy is made up of scientists who advise the Government of Burkina Faso on matters of science and promote the work of dedicated Burkinabè researchers.
Dr. Sérémé noted that the rationale of the visit was due to Target Malaria’s important role as a research project looking to develop new tools against malaria in Africa. Burkina Faso is disproportionality affected by malaria, being one of 11 ‘High Burden to High Impact’ countries as classified by the World Health Organisation.
Dr Paco Sérémé addresses the press
Prof. Abdoulaye Diabaté addresses the press
As well as meeting with Principal Investigator, Prof. Abdoulaye Diabaté, Dr. Sérémé was able to observe research activities in the laboratory and insectary, and participated in a field visit to the village of Souroukoudingan, one of the communities in which the project operates.
Souroukoudingan is a village in Karangasso-Sambla, Houet province. Local community members shared their experiences with Target Malaria and the IRSS team, from participating in swarming (wherein wild mosquitoes are caught and brought back to the lab), to experience sharing and feedback sessions from scientific activities led by Stakeholder Engagement Lead, Dr. Léa Paré Toé.
Meeting with the community of Souroukoudingan
Meeting with the community of Souroukoudingan
Community members noted that these activities helped them to dispel myths, such as the idea that malaria can be transmitted through specific foods, and gain entomology knowledge. A good example is the fact that malaria is spread by specific species of mosquito in the Anopheles genus, and distinct from varieties that spread other diseases, such as the Aedes mosquitos that spread dengue.
Each community member was also able to share feedback, and Village Development Advisor, Soungalo Traoré, commemorated the project’s potential. Following his visit, Dr. Paco Sérémé was in agreement, praising the excellent standards that both the researchers and stakeholder engagement team had maintained thus far.
On the 6th of August 2024, ANSAL solidified this with an official declaration, which clearly supports the project, calls on the nation’s ministers to support, monitor and evaluate Target Malaria as it represents a complementary approach to the fight against malaria in our country. The evaluation of the Academy should inspire confidence in ongoing efforts to develop new genetic tools against malaria in Burkina Faso. Furthermore, the declaration dispels scientific myths, particularly the recent conflation of Anopheles mosquitoes, the vectors of malaria (the subject of the Target Malaria project), and Aedes mosquitoes, the vectors of dengue fever.
The President, ANSAL delegation and Target Malaria team members come together for a group photo
We are grateful for both the official support of the National Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters and the opportunity to showcase our work to the wider scientific community. We look forward to sharing more of our work going forward and to a future where our research can have a realised impact here in Burkina Faso.
