The African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) has called for renewed investment in science, innovation and accurate public information to strengthen Africa’s fight against mosquito-borne diseases.
The call was contained in a statement issued by the organisation on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, to mark World Mosquito Day.
AMMREN said although scientific advances have significantly improved the prevention and control of diseases such as malaria, millions of people across Africa remain at risk as mosquito-borne disease threats continue to evolve.
According to the organisation, the fight against malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases cannot be considered a problem of the past, particularly as emerging challenges threaten to undermine gains made over the years.
Citing data from the World Health Organization (WHO), AMMREN noted that the African Region accounted for 94 per cent of global malaria cases and 95 per cent of malaria deaths in 2024.
It said children under five years remained among the groups most severely affected by malaria, underscoring the need for sustained prevention, early detection and timely treatment.
Beyond malaria, AMMREN noted that mosquitoes transmit several other diseases, including dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya, making effective mosquito control an important component of public health protection.
AMMREN warned that insecticide resistance, changing environmental and climatic conditions, and the spread of invasive mosquito species were creating new challenges for disease-control programmes across Africa.
The organisation said these emerging threats required health authorities and researchers to continuously adapt their approaches rather than rely solely on traditional methods of mosquito control.
At the same time, AMMREN said scientific progress was creating new opportunities in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases.
It highlighted the development of malaria vaccines and improvements in vector-control interventions as examples of innovations that were changing the possibilities for prevention and disease control.
The organisation, however, stressed that scientific advances would have limited impact if communities did not have access to accurate information and the tools needed to protect themselves.
“Knowledge must translate into action, and action must translate into lives protected,” AMMREN said.
As part of its World Mosquito Day message, AMMREN identified three key areas requiring urgent attention.
First, it called for sustained investment in science and innovation to improve disease surveillance and develop effective tools capable of responding to evolving mosquito-borne disease threats.
Second, it urged stakeholders to put communities at the centre of prevention by ensuring that people have the knowledge, tools and support necessary to protect themselves and seek timely medical care when they fall ill.
Third, AMMREN called for stronger health communication, insisting that accurate and evidence-based information should form a central part of disease prevention and control strategies.
The organisation said effective communication was particularly important in an environment where misinformation could influence public understanding of disease prevention, treatment and the use of new health interventions.
The Executive Secretary of AMMREN, Dr Charity Binka, said Africa needed to maintain the momentum of scientific research while ensuring that communities were able to benefit from advances in disease prevention and control.
“We must keep the science moving, but we must also ensure that people are not left behind. Accurate information is a powerful tool for prevention,” Dr Binka said.
She stressed that the continued threat posed by mosquito-borne diseases required governments, researchers, health professionals, the media and communities to work together.
“The fight against mosquito-borne diseases is not over. Africa must protect the progress it has made, embrace new solutions and ensure that no community is left behind,” she added.
AMMREN’s World Mosquito Day message comes amid continuing efforts across Africa to reduce the burden of malaria and other vector-borne diseases.
The organisation said maintaining progress would require a combination of scientific innovation, stronger disease surveillance, effective vector control, community participation and reliable public health communication.
It therefore urged stakeholders to treat mosquito-borne diseases as an evolving public health challenge and to ensure that emerging scientific solutions are translated into practical interventions capable of protecting communities, particularly vulnerable populations.
World Mosquito Day is observed annually to raise awareness of the health risks posed by mosquitoes and the importance of prevention and control measures against mosquito-borne diseases.
By 1960news.com
