The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) has engaged the Chief Executive Officer of Save Africa From Malaria Infection (SAFMI), Artem Volchenko, to explore opportunities for expanding the organisation’s malaria prevention initiatives to more tertiary institutions across Sierra Leone.
The engagement, led by the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie, focused on strengthen intra level collaboration between SAFMI and higher learning institutions, particularly in the areas of research, innovation and malaria prevention.
SAFMI, an international non-governmental organisation focused on malaria prevention, has been supporting tertiary institutions in Sierra Leone, particularly Eastern Technical University, through its Gambusia Fish Project, which uses Gambusia fish, commonly known as mosquito fish, as an environmentally friendly approach to controlling mosquito populations.
During the engagement, Dr Wurie encouraged the SAFMI CEO to extend the initiative to Njala University and the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), noting that both institutions have important roles to play in advancing research in health and agriculture.
She emphasised the need for the institutions to be actively involved in research into the use and effectiveness of Gambusia fish in mosquito control and their potential contribution to malaria prevention, particularly given the continued impact of malaria on communities across Africa and Sierra Leone.
The Minister further stressed that extending the initiative to these institutions would create opportunities for academic collaboration, scientific research and knowledge-sharing, ultimately strengthening national efforts to combat malaria.
She urged SAFMI to place greater emphasis on research and provide the necessary support to enable the institutions to explore the potential of the Gambusia fish and its contribution to malaria control.
Through its Malaria Fish Project, SAFMI is promoting an environmentally friendly approach to malaria prevention, using Gambusia fish to help control mosquito populations and complement existing malaria control interventions.
The proposed expansion to Njala University and COMAHS is expected to create further opportunities for research-based collaboration between the organisation and Sierra Leone’s higher education institutions.
