On October 18, PI Athrey presented data and training plans at the annual Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting for the Bioko Island Malaria Elimination Project (BIMEP), held in Chicago. This meeting organized just before the American Society for Tropical Medicine & Hygiene conference, was a significant platform for sharing updates and insights from our lab’s work in molecular entomology and vector surveillance.
Our Lab’s Contributions
Athrey’s presentation covered the recent findings from our lab’s research, emphasizing the critical role of molecular entomology in understanding and combating vector-borne diseases. The audience, comprising technical advisors to BIMEP, MCD, and BIMEP team members from both the US and Equatorial Guinea, as well as notable representatives of the Equatoguinean government, was an engaged audience with a high degree of technical expertise.
The presence of high-level government officials, including the Minister of Health, His Excellency Diosdado Vicente Nsue Milang, and the Vice Minister of Health, His Excellency Mitoha Ondo’o Ayekaba, underscored the meeting’s importance and the seriousness of ongoing malaria elimination efforts.
Looking Forward to Future Endeavors
The discussions and feedback from the meeting was incredibly productive, setting the stage for future projects and collaborations aimed at advancing our understanding of vector-borne diseases and improving public health outcomes in malaria-affected regions. The meeting also helped hammer out details for an upcoming visit to Equatorial Guinea to carry out a training program at the national lab in Baney.