Accomplishments and Accolades in Côte d’Ivoire

This week’s Fist Bump goes to the team in Côte d’Ivoire, who wrapped up July and ushered in August with two back-to-back big events: the official opening of a new insectary and an award from the U.S. Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire.

On Friday, July 29, the team celebrated the long-awaited opening of the newly rehabilitated insectary at the Institut National d’Hygiene Publique (National Institute of Public Health, or INHP), at a ceremony presided over by U.S. Ambassador Richard Bell, Health Director Professor Mamadou Samba, and INHP Director Professor Joseph Benie Bi Vroh. The project has been supporting the refurbishment of this facility since December 2021, and the insectary now includes four separate rooms for breeding mosquito larvae and adults, each room for a specific strain of mosquito; an entomology laboratory; and additional rooms for research and testing needs.

On Monday, August 1, U.S. Ambassador Bell recognized the team’s outstanding support to the National Malaria Control Program in a special ceremony held at the Embassy in Abidjan, attended by all VectorLink staff, as well as USAID Côte d’Ivoire’s Country Director Nancy Lowenthal, and Health Director Akua Addo. The team was presented with a certificate of recognition, highlighting their three consecutive and successful PMI-funded IRS campaigns between 2020 and 2022, with Ambassador Bell congratulating the team on their performance, professionalism, and dedication to the fight against malaria. Accepting the award on behalf of her colleagues, VectorLink Côte d’Ivoire Chief of Party Ndombour Gning Cisse thanked the entire USAID and PMI team, along with Ambassador Bell, for their outstanding support and trust. 

From entomology to IRS, our Côte d’Ivoire colleagues are making important contributions to ensure the country is well equipped to study mosquito behaviors, prevent, and respond to malaria outbreaks, and move forward in the fight against malaria. Good work, team!

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