Dr. Apaak: Ghana could lead West Africa in responsible use of malaria-free mosquito technology

Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Abas Apaak says Ghana has an opportunity to set an example for West Africa in how countries assess and engage with emerging malaria-free mosquito technology.

He said Ghana could demonstrate regional leadership by ensuring that discussions around the technology are transparent, evidence-based and centred on communities.

Speaking at the National Co-Creation Workshop on Malaria-Free Mosquito Technology for Malaria Elimination in Ghana in Accra on Wednesday, November 4, Dr. Apaak said the country’s engagement with neighbouring countries and regional institutions would be important because malaria and the questions surrounding the technology extend beyond national borders.

“Ghana can also set an example for the region. Malaria does not recognise borders, and neither do the questions this technology raises,” he said.

“By leading an open, evidence-based and community-centred conversation, working with our neighbours and through ECOWAS, Ghana can show West Africa how to engage with a new technology responsibly,” he added.

Dr. Apaak stressed that Ghana’s leadership should not be judged by how quickly it adopts the technology but by the quality of the scientific assessment and the confidence it builds among communities.

“Leadership in this field will be measured not by speed, but by the quality of our science and the trust we earn,” he stated.

He said Ghana had a strong research foundation that could support the process, pointing to institutions such as the University of Ghana, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, WACCBIP and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

He also commended the Ghana National Research Fund for convening the workshop in partnership with the Gates Foundation and WACCBIP, describing the collaboration as a model of nationally led scientific engagement.

“This is the right model: nationally led, scientifically rigorous, and built on co-creation rather than imposition,” he said.

Dr. Apaak further urged participants to use the two-day workshop to develop a roadmap that reflects Ghana’s priorities and involves communities in the decision-making process.

“To the participants, I urge you to speak frankly, listen carefully, and leave with a roadmap that Ghana can call its own,” he said.

He assured participants that the Ministry of Education was prepared to support universities and research institutions that would undertake the work.

The workshop comes as Ghana continues to face a significant malaria burden, with more than 5.3 million cases recorded last year, according to figures cited by Dr Apaak.

The proposed malaria-free mosquito technology remains at the laboratory evidence and modelling stage and has not been released anywhere in the world.

The workshop is therefore intended to facilitate national discussions on the science, regulation and community considerations surrounding its possible future application.