Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research

Experts from the malaria community gathered in Nairobi this month as part of the @RBM_VCWG’s 21st Workshop, to share the latest research & best practices relevant to malaria vector control efforts. Dr. Samantha O'Loughlin, @TargetMalaria @imperialcollege, shares her insights from this year’s event in this piece➡️genedrivenetwork.org/blog/advancing… @endmalaria #VCWG21 #endmalaria 📷: RBM Partnership to End Malaria

A new joint UN report on “Levels and Trends in Child Mortality” reminds us why we must stay on course in the fight against #malaria. According to the report: ▪️In 2024, 2.8 million children died before age five in sub-Saharan Africa - over half of all global child deaths ▪️Malaria remains the single largest killer of children aged 1–59 months Yet, the tools to prevent these deaths already exist. They must be deployed at far greater scale and speed to ensure every child, everywhere, survives and thrives. Renewed commitment, targeted investment, and accelerated action will get us there. Find out more, 🔗link to the full report in the comments⬇️. 📸PC/ @UNICEFAfrica

Target Malaria participated in the RBM Vector Control Working Group (VCWG) Workshop, bringing together over 300 members of the #malaria control community, including researchers, practitioners and funders from across Africa and beyond to discuss the latest developments in vector control. Read more here: targetmalaria.org/latest/blog/21… #EndMalaria @endmalaria

The latest @WHO #WorldMalariaReport spotlights the growing threat of antimalarial drug resistance. Chapter 1 of “Protect the Cure”, a four-part docuseries, dives into what artemisinin resistance means, where it is spreading across the African continent, and how scientists are working to stay ahead of the malaria parasite. ➡️youtube.com/watch?v=HtOg0A… @ImpSanteAfrique @TempleUniv

Following IWD, we’re spotlighting the women at T0 driving research forward throughout March. Dina leads the discovery of antiparasitic effectors and molecular parasitology activities at Imperial. Through her leadership, Dina is driving new strategies for malaria control.

“When I was 14, the @GlobalFund came to Uganda and funded mosquito nets, medication, and the village health team. Finally, being poor and getting malaria did not mean you had to die.” Krystal Birungi @XtalBirungi spoke last year about the early experiences that led to her becoming an entomologist and a trailblazer in the fight to eradicate #malaria. Now, she’s developing innovative interventions to stop the disease at @TargetMalaria. Watch Krystal speaking at a Global Goalkeepers 2025 event: buff.ly/QoX4Mn8 #ZeroMalaria #EndMalaria

A new @UN report says 4.9m children died in 2024 from preventable causes. Malaria was responsible for 17% of deaths in under-5s who survived their first month. Ending malaria in a generation is possible, if funding is protected & political will holds. buff.ly/neIrVg3

Krystal Birungi (@XtalBirungi) spoke to Riddhi Thakrar on 'Her Global Impact: Amplified and Unfiltered' discussing the importance of involving communities in every step of the fight against #malaria, the impact the disease had on her growing up, the cost of inaction, her advocacy work and the future of malaria elimination in Africa. Make sure to listen to the full conversation here: open.spotify.com/episode/3r1bD9… Together we can #EndMalaria! @UVRIug @GFAN_Africa

Fantastic new tool to help track #dengue around the world.

In collaboration with Transmission Zero (@transm0), we hosted Sir Stephen O’Brien, Non-Executive Director, Board of The Friends of The Global Fund Europe (Aids, TB & Malaria), inviting him to visit our labs to better understand the work happening in the fight against #malaria. The visit highlighted Target Malaria and Transmission Zero's complementary roles in advancing gene drive research. Read more here: targetmalaria.org/latest/news/si… Together we can #EndMalaria! #GeneDrive #MalariaResearch

Join us for a webinar hosted by the @TargetMalaria project in collaboration with @BioSciToolkit CIC on 26 March, 12 PM GMT | 3 PM EAT. Dr. Jonathan Kayondo, our head of Entomology and PI will be discussing careers in #MalariaResearch Register here: imperial-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

Chikungunya can now transmit at 55°F. That's a Paris spring. A Berlin summer. A Chicago fall. Climate change isn't just a temperature problem—it’s a mosquito superhighway being built in real time, and it impacts everyone.

In her reflections on last month’s #AUSummit and the release of the #AUMalariaProgressReport2025, Dr.Annette Onyango, Secretary of the ALMA Youth Advisory Council (AYAC), writes: "And yes, young health workers, community educators, and advocates are doing critical work on the ground across the continent. But what this Summit reinforced for me is that young people need to be in the room where the decisions are made, not just outside it. The commitments that get made, for example, on malaria financing, on health sovereignty, on domestic resource mobilisation, on the architecture of global health, will shape the continent we inherit. I see this as a reason not to wait to be invited in, but instead push." This is a powerful reminder that #youth must be present in the spaces where decisions about their future are made. Read the full story in the link in the comments ⬇️

Following IWD, we’re continuing to spotlight the women driving T0's research forward. Karen explains why understanding mosquito populations is key for control and encourages more young women to pursue fulfilling science beyond the lab. Read more here: bit.ly/47wAbjw

A new initiative led by researchers at @LSHTM is changing how the world tracks #dengue. The Global Dengue Observatory is the first global online dashboard that will give researchers, governments, and the public a real-time picture of the global dengue situation. Learn more ➡️ lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/new… @LSHTM_RAFT

Join us for a webinar in collaboration with @BioSciToolkit on Thursday 26 March, 12pm GMT | 3pm EAT to explore careers in #MalariaResearch and inspire the next generation of young scientists. @BioSciToolkit empowers students from underrepresented communities to make confident, informed decisions about bioscience degrees and careers. Learn more: bioscitoolkit.co.uk During the webinar, Dr. Jonathan Kayondo, Principal Investigator for #TargetMalariaUganda at @UVRIug, will speak with Abdulkabir Adenopo about why malaria research offers exciting opportunities for those seeking impactful scientific careers. Make sure to register here and join us: imperial-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/regist… #YoungScientistNetwork #Malaria #EndMalaria

2026 Call for Abstracts is open. Deadline: April 1. This year's Annual Meeting is at Gaylord National Harbor, near Washington, DC. tinyurl.com/7hw4u2ax

What can happen in 20 years when innovation is matched with resolve? Since 2006, @MalariaNoMore has driven historic progress against malaria. As the organization enters its next chapter, their focus is clear: accelerating new solutions, expanding partnerships, and driving the impact needed to #EndMalaria. ➡️ malarianomore.org/20-years-of-im… 📷: @MalariaNoMore

Yesterday was #InternationalWomensDay, and we're taking a moment to celebrate all the women and girls at the forefront of the fight against #malaria. Together we can #EndMalaria! #IWD2026 #InvestInWomen #WomenInScience #GiveToGain