At the PAMCA Kenya Chapter Annual Meeting 2026 in Nairobi, Day 2 is bringing an important message to the forefront: the future of mosquito control will depend not only on the tools we develop, but on how effectively we connect science, communities, policy and action.

Remembering a Special Scientist and Champion of PAMCA

The day began with a moving tribute to the late Dr. Prosper Chaki, former Director of PAMCA and former Director of Resource Mobilization and Stakeholder Engagement at Ifakara Health Institute, whose contributions to malaria research and mosquito control continue to influence the field.

Dr. Chaki was a strong advocate for approaches that recognise communities as essential partners in malaria control. His work championed the importance of listening to communities, understanding local realities and ensuring that scientific knowledge translates into solutions that work for the people most affected by malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.

The Inaugural Memorial Lecture in his honour, delivered by Dr. Yeromin Mlacha and moderated by Dr. Samson Kiware, provided an opportunity to reflect on this legacy while opening the wider conversation about the future of mosquito control.

The lecture was attended by Dr. Chaki’s wife, Dr. Doreen Ndossi, and his brother, Exavery Chaki, who expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of support and for honoring his legacy through a heartfelt session.

Ifakara’s contributions to scientific discussions 

One of the morning’s key discussions then turned to reimagining malaria control through community-based approaches, drawing lessons from mosquito abatement programmes in the United States. The discussion highlighted the potential for communities to move beyond being recipients of interventions and become active partners in identifying local risks, supporting surveillance and shaping solutions that respond to their own environments.

IHI researchers will contribute to Vector Surveillance & Bionomics, examining mosquito behaviour, populations and transmission dynamics; Rethinking the Population Dynamics and Control Targets for Malaria Vector Guilds in East Africa, exploring how changing vector populations can inform more targeted control strategies; and Building a Sustainable Modelling Capacity in Malaria-Endemic Countries, highlighting the importance of strengthening African modelling expertise and using data to support better malaria surveillance, control and elimination decisions. Together, these contributions reflect Ifakara’s commitment to generating locally relevant evidence, strengthening scientific capacity and translating research into action.