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Our challenge

Vector-borne diseases account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases.

Africa shoulders one of the highest burdens of vector-borne diseases globally.

They are responsible for over 700,000 deaths a year and 80% of the world’s population is at risk.

Malaria alone kills more than 500,000 people in Africa every year.

WHO 2023

WHO 2023

  • Current tools to fight vector-borne diseases have saved millions of lives but are not enough to eliminate them. Growing resistance to existing interventions, such as insecticides and drugs, is threatening the fight against vector-borne diseases. On top of this, the cost and difficulties involved in carrying out repeat interventions over vast and often rural areas, the spread of mosquitoes due to the effects of climate change, and the emergence and spread of new vectors present additional challenges.
  • Innovative solutions are needed to complement existing approaches. Genetic approaches for vector control, such as genetically modified mosquitoes, are a promising approach, but their design and development require state-of-the-art infrastructure and technical capacity.

Innovation in Africa

Africa is one of the regions most affected by vector-borne diseases, but limited technical capacity and research infrastructure hinder researchers’ ability to develop innovative solutions for vector control on the continent.

  • To date, the design and development of innovative approaches for vector control have largely been carried out outside Africa.
  • Every year, more than US$ 600 million are invested in research and development for new tools to fight malaria, but African research institutions only receive around 1% of this funding directly.

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© 2025 ACEME

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