Professor Abdoulaye Diabaté from Burkina Faso, principal investigator at Target Malaria Burkina Faso and a leading figure in medical entomology and parasitology, is one of 10 global winners of the prestigious Falling Walls Award for Science and Innovation.
Professor Abdoulaye Diabaté is head of medical entomology and parasitology at the Burkina Faso Health Sciences Research Institute. He is also the principal investigator of Target Malaria Burkina Faso, a non-profit research consortium dedicated to malaria research in Africa. Through collaborative African research and international scientific partnerships, Target Malaria aims to develop new vector control tools to complement existing methods and eradicate malaria for good.
Professor Abdoulaye Diabaté’s research exploits the potential of innovative genetic technologies such as gene drive, and his work holds great promise in the fight against malaria transmission.
In 2019, Professor Abdoulaye Diabaté led the Target Malaria Burkina Faso/IRSS team through the first release of genetically modified mosquitoes in Africa, marking a historic moment for science.
Innovative research
The Burkinabe scientist was rewarded for his innovative research in the field of medical entomology and his commitment to the fight against malaria through his research into genetically modified mosquitoes. In addition, it is explained, he was awarded for Target Malaria’s unique approach to helping save millions of lives by targeting the mosquitoes responsible for disease transmission, working with leading institutions in countries severely affected by malaria in Africa, as well as in the USA, UK and Italy. In Burkina Faso, Professor Abdoulaye Diabaté’s team includes sociologists, anthropologists and practitioners of stakeholder engagement.
Doctorate in animal biology
Professor Diabaté trained as a doctor in animal biology and ecology at the University of Ouagadougou, and obtained his PhD in parasitology from the University of Montpellier II (France) in 2003. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship in 2005/2009 at the Malaria and Vector Research Laboratory of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the USA. His research has focused on population biology, ecological studies of phenotypic variation within and between mosquito populations, and analysis of its genetic and environmental sources. He is particularly interested in the biology of mosquito males and related approaches to transgenic and sterile males for vector-borne disease control. He returned to Burkina Faso in 2009, where he currently works at the Institut de recherche en sciences de la santé and heads the medical entomology laboratory.
Professor Diabaté has been invited as a guest lecturer at several prestigious universities, including Harvard University, to catalyze lasting collaboration between the IRSS and other research centers and universities around the world.
Outstanding contributions
Emma Orefuwa, co-founder and trustee of the Pan-African Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA) said: “As the only African winner in this category, his recognition underlines not only his outstanding contributions to science, but also the vital role that African scientists and experts play in finding solutions to malaria, and the importance of African-led research in addressing global health challenges.”
Professor Diabaté declared: “There are half a million deaths a year, and a child dies of malaria every minute in Africa. I hope to develop an effective and safe strain of mosquitoes with the genetic boost that can be used in several years’ time in Africa, alongside other vector control tools, to reduce transmission rates and ultimately the number of malaria cases and deaths on the continent.”
Malaria affected every aspect of Professor Diabaté’s personal life. He almost died of the disease as a child. “As a child, I suffered many episodes of malaria, but there’s one I’ll never forget. It happened when I was a child, aged 3 or 4. I can still clearly see myself lying on the bed with a high fever and my whole body aching. At that age, it was difficult for a child to understand what it meant to lose someone forever, but I was old enough to know what it meant to love someone. I loved my parents, and I could see in their eyes that they loved me but were panicked with fear. They kept trying to reassure me by smiling, but their smiles were fake. Fake because they were helpless and desperate. Survive, don’t survive. The psychological trauma suffered by my parents was unbearable. If I’m here today, it’s thanks to the nurses, doctors, scientists and international donors. I’m grateful to all of them. They all encouraged me to do the same and dedicate my life to the fight against malaria,” he told falling-walls.com.
Today, Professor Diabaté cares for his loved ones whenever they fall ill, and has decided to devote his life to the fight against this disease which, he stresses, is stifling Africa’s development and shattering the future of millions of African lives.
Conducting research in Africa
To this end, the Burkinabe scientist wishes to focus research on African problems in Africa. “What I mean by this is that African researchers are in the best position to design and conduct research on the problems affecting African countries. Malaria is a perfect example. Many European and North American institutions have malaria research facilities, even though the disease was eradicated from these regions a long time ago. I believe that malaria research should be carried out in countries where the disease is endemic. Burkina Faso is committed to providing a favorable environment for this research, and I hope that many other African countries will position themselves as leaders in malaria research. In my role, I hope to inspire the new generation of young African researchers to embrace careers in STEM and more specifically in malaria research”, he declared.
Winner of several awards
Professor Diabaté is the winner of the 2013 Pfizer Award from the Royal Society, and has been awarded the Grand Challenges Star in global Health and the MRC/DFID African Leader Scheme Fellowships, the PAMCA Award for his contribution to the field of medical entomology and the “Chevalier des Palmes académiques” from the government of Burkina Faso, in recognition of his significant contribution to scientific research in Burkina Faso.
A member of the African Academy of Sciences, Professor Diabaté also heads a number of other research projects.
