Vancouver, Canada —April 29, 2024 – Abdoulaye Diabaté, head of the Medical Entomology and Parasitology department at the Health Sciences Research Institute of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, and principal investigator of Target Malaria Burkina Faso , shared his experience of malaria and his dogged determination to eliminate it. Professor Diabaté’s intervention highlighted the devastating effects of malaria, particularly in Africa, thus emphasizing the urgent need for innovative solutions.
Photo credit : Gilberto Tadday / TED ©
“Malaria is intrinsically linked to poverty. Therefore, it is truly lamentable to be poor,” declared Professor Diabaté, while evoking the battle he has been waging against this disease since his childhood. “Every year, 200 million cases are recorded worldwide and around 600,000 people die. For many it’s just a matter of statistics, but for me it’s a personal and tragic story. Most of these deaths occur in Africa, where children and pregnant women pay the highest price.”
Professor Diabaté’s unprecedented experience highlights the profound impact of malaria on individuals and families, sparking his tireless efforts to eliminate the disease.
Target Malaria is an international research consortium made up of scientists, stakeholder engagement teams, risk assessment specialists, and communications and regulatory experts. These are based in Africa, North America and Europe and are all dedicated to the fight against malaria. In his capacity as principal investigator of Target Malaria in Burkina Faso, Professor Diabaté focused on the consortium’s collaborative efforts with countries severely affected by malaria in Africa and their partners in the United States, the United Kingdom and in Italy. He highlighted the potential of gene drive technology to revolutionize the fight against malaria, while providing a sustainable and cost-effective approach to preventing the disease.
Acknowledging the challenges and skepticism surrounding gene drive technology in Africa, Professor Diabaté highlighted Target Malaria’s commitment to transparent stakeholder participation and capacity building, thereby enabling African scientists to play a key role in the fight against malaria.
Target Malaria prioritizes public engagement throughout the research process, ensuring that community members play an active role in research design, implementation and outcomes. The consortium values the invaluable perspectives that communities and their leaders bring to the negotiating table. “We do not separate research from society. A big part of our work is fostering meaningful collaboration at every stage. They are the people most affected by the disease and their opinions are essential to the success of our work,” he adds.
The stakeholder engagement strategy involves social scientists, communications experts and engagement practitioners who work to promote dialogue at all stakeholder levels. “Building on this knowledge, we are adapting a range of communication tools aimed at effectively conveying information about our project and malaria prevention methods. Our approach ensures that information for each audience is accessible and relevant. Which consequently promotes informed decision-making and concerted action towards our common goal of eliminating malaria,” he declared.
Looking back on his experience at TED2024, on the occasion of World Malaria Day (April 25), Professor Diabaté expressed his gratitude for the recognition of his actions on the international scene. “Participating in the TED conference was a very enriching experience. This demonstrates the importance of collective efforts to harness human ingenuity to eliminate malaria and improve global health. »
Photo Credit: Jasmina Tomic / TED ©
His determination to contribute to a malaria-free Africa was even more poignant. Professor Diabaté’s speech highlighted the skills and expertise of African scientists on the international scene. His vision is hopeful and his speech sparked conversations, inspiring support for Target Malaria’s gene drive technology and the development of a new generation of African scientists.
Photo credit: Jasmina Tomic / TED ©
Visit the TED2024 website for more information and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #TED2024.
Distributed by African Media Agency pour Target Malaria.
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About Gene Drive Technology:
Target Malaria adapts a natural genetic mechanism, called a “gene drive,” to spread a genetic change in malaria-carrying mosquitoes, which would affect their ability to reproduce. This mechanism changes the rate of inheritance of certain genes, so that they are passed on to all descendants, from one generation to the next. The aim is to influence the reproductive capacity of mosquitoes and thus interrupt the transmission of malaria. Gene drive technologies promise to be a complementary, self-sustaining and cost-effective method for eliminating malaria in Africa. The Burkina Faso team conducted contained use studies on the male bias strain (genetically modified to produce primarily male offspring, without a genetic drive.
About Target Malaria:
Target Malaria is a nonprofit research consortium committed to developing and sharing innovative, cost-effective and sustainable genetic technologies to modify mosquitoes and reduce malaria transmission. Our vision is to contribute to a world without malaria. We strive for excellence in all areas of our business, leading the way in responsible research and development of genetic technologies, including gene driving. www.targetmalaria.org
Target Malaria receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as well as Open Philanthropy. Imperial College London is the lead granting body, working with partners in Africa, Europe and North America.
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About TED
TED is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to discovering, debating, and disseminating ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding, and drive meaningful change. Our organization is dedicated to curiosity, reason, wonder, and the pursuit of knowledge – without an agenda. We welcome people from all disciplines and cultures who seek to better understand the world and connect with others, and we invite everyone to engage with and implement ideas within their community. Our goal is to help create a future worth pursuing for all.
TED began in 1984 as a conference where technology, entertainment and design converged, but today it has expanded to a multitude of global communities and initiatives that explore everything from science to business to education, arts and global issues. In addition to hundreds of TED talks delivered at our annual conferences and published on TED.com, we produce original podcasts, short-form video series, animated educational lessons (TED-Ed), and television programs that are translated into more in 100 languages and distributed through partnerships around the world. Each year, more than 3,000 independently organized TEDx events bring people together to share ideas and bridge gaps in communities on every continent. Through Project Audacious, TED has helped catalyze more than $3 billion in funding for projects aimed at making the world more beautiful, more sustainable, and more just. In 2020, TED launched Countdown, an initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis and mobilize a movement for a net-zero future. See the full list of TED’s many programs and initiatives.
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Source : African Media Agency (AMA)