TED2024, a hallmark event celebrating 40 years of innovation, ingenuity, creativity, courage, and generosity, taking place in Vancouver, Canada from 15-19 April, will feature Africa’s esteemed, and leading champion against malaria, Prof. Abdoulaye Diabaté as a speaker. In his Talk, titled “How to End Malaria”, Prof. Diabaté aims to catalyse transformative change in global health.
Hailing from Burkina Faso, Prof. Diabaté is Head of Medical Entomology and Parasitology at the Research Institute in Health Sciences (Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé – IRSS), in Bobo-Dioulasso
His acclaimed research work as Principal Investigator of Target Malaria Burkina Faso has earned him global recognition, including prestigious speaking engagements at Harvard University, interviews by several prestigious international and national media, including the CNN, BBC, Netflix, The New York Times, the National TV channels of Burkina Faso.
Prof. Diabaté was recently honoured as one of the 10 global winners of the esteemed Falling Walls Science & Innovation Prize 2023. This recognition underscores his pioneering efforts in eradicating malaria through innovative gene drive mosquito technology, which holds the promise of being a self-sustaining and cost-effective method to reduce the population of malaria mosquitoes – offering hope to millions worldwide.
Malaria, a relentless scourge claiming a child’s life every minute, exacts a devastating toll, with over 600,000 deaths and 200 million cases annually, primarily affecting African communities, especially children and pregnant women. The social and economic costs of the illness are overwhelming, estimated at $12 billion a year in Africa alone. Africa bears the highest burden of preventable diseases but has the lowest technology development, and impact on global health research. Prof Diabaté plans to change this.
At TED2024, Prof. Diabaté will highlight Target Malaria’s innovative approach, emphasising collaboration and African voices’ centrality in the fight against malaria. This event underscores the role of developing domestic expertise and international collective determination to confront one of humanity’s greatest challenges.
As the TED community converges in Vancouver next week, Prof. Diabaté’s impassioned call to action promises to inspire and galvanise global efforts towards malaria eradication.
