Picking Up Where Sir Ronald Ross Left Off: Supporting Molecular Lab Capacity in Sierra Leone

Malaria parasites were first observed in Anopheles gambiae and funestus mosquitoes by Sir Ronald Ross in 1899 at a research lab in Sierra Leone, determining them to be the principal malaria vectors in Africa—a contribution which laid critical groundwork to understanding malaria transmission and prevention. However, there has been limited local capacity to continue this malaria research. This week’s Fist Bump goes to the VectorLink Sierra Leone team for helping to establish molecular entomology capacity in country through new partnerships established with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) and Njala University. In 2021, after rigorous capacity assessments led by Dr. Kevin Opondo, Njala University was selected to support the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) to analyze malaria-carrying mosquitoes collected by the PMI VectorLink Project.

In December 2022, VectorLink Sierra Leone successfully supported and facilitated the official launching of the MOU between the MOHS and Njala University to begin molecular entomology work at Njala University. Simultaneously, the launch marked the official commencement of an 8-day training for six Njala University technicians and two VL field technicians on molecular entomological techniques led by Drs. Allison Hendershot and Kevin Opondo. The event was attended by the Vice Chancellor of Njala University, Professor Bashiru Mohamed Koroma; Program Manager of the NMCP, Dr. Dennis Marke; Director of Hospitals and Ambulance Services, Dr. Matthew Vandy; Program Manager of Clinical Laboratory Services, Dr. Abdul Razack Mansaray; and senior staff from the university and NMCP. VectorLink Sierra Leone COP Laurent Iyikirenga, at the request of PMI’s resident advisor, represented PMI at the launch.

Reading the statement from Sierra Leone’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sartie Kenneh, Dr. Vandy said the local capacity created through this collaboration and training will provide credible data for the NMCP’s research and decision-making regarding malaria control in Sierra Leone and thanked all partners for making it a reality. VectorLink Sierra Leone will no longer ship mosquito samples abroad for molecular analysis and will now process samples locally. This reduces the cost and time it takes to deliver results.

Well done, VL Sierra Leone!