Defeating Malaria
This initiative is a Harvard University project aiming to produce, transmit, and translate knowledge to support the control and ultimate eradication of malaria.
Boston, MA, USA
Events
“Science of Defeating Malaria,” a leadership development course
June 6-11, 2027
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The annual leadership course, “Science of Defeating Malaria,” organized by Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar in Senegal, Harvard University in the USA, the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana, the Rwanda Biomedical Centre in Rwanda, and the Institute for Genomics and Global Health at Redeemer’s University in Nigeria, will be held from June 6-11, 2027, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health in Ethiopia.
Seminar: What Happens to a Bed Net After It Saves a Life?
November 17, 2026
Location: FXB, G13, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
This seminar brings together malaria epidemiology, environmental chemistry, and private-sector leadership to ask a question the global health field has largely ignored: What happens to the plastic that saves a life, and what should happen next? Registration required; click here.
Sponsored by the Nigerian Student Association, the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE) at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Harvard Global Health Institute, and Harvard University’s Defeating Malaria: From the Genes to the Globe Initiative.
Symposium: Progress, Interrupted – Malaria’s Uneven Gains Amid New Threats & A Changing Funding Landscape
November 13, 2026, from 2:00-4:00PM
Location: Snyder Auditorium, G1; Reception Immediately Following, Kresge Atrium, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Two decades of gains, now at risk. Join us for a discussion of global health financing, data-driven policy, and the future of malaria elimination. Registration required; click here.
Sponsored by the Nigerian Student Association, Harvard’s Center for African Studies, and Harvard’s Defeating Malaria Initiative.
Seminar: Can Mosquitoes Pay the Price of Resistance? Evolutionary Insights for Smarter Malaria Control
November 12, 2026, from Noon-12:55PM
Location: FXB, Room 301, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Join us for a talk with Magellan Tchouakui, MSc, PhD, Research Scientist & Wellcome Trust Fellow, Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
Hosted by the Catteruccia lab and sponsored by Harvard’s Defeating Malaria Initiative. Questions? Email us at defeatingmalaria@harvard.edu.
November 12, 2026, from 4-5:30PM
Location: Building 1, Room 1208, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
This hands-on session follows a working malaria researcher through a real dataset end-to-end: from raw data to a defensible analytical decision, using an AI-assisted statistical platform built for this workflow. After the workflow demo, we’ll consider what it would take to trust AI-assisted research workflows, from the classroom to resource-constrained settings.
“Science of Defeating Malaria,” a leadership development course
June 7-12, 2026
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
The annual leadership course, “Science of Defeating Malaria,” organized by Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar in Senegal, Harvard University in the USA, the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana, the Rwanda Biomedical Centre in Rwanda, and the Institute for Genomics and Global Health at Redeemer’s University in Nigeria, will be held from June 7-12, 2026, in Abuja, Nigeria, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Nigeria.
“Science of Defeating Malaria,” a leadership development course
June 15-20, 2025
Location: Kigali, Rwanda
The annual leadership course, “Science of Defeating Malaria,” organized by Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar in Senegal, Harvard University in the USA, and the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana, will be held from June 15-20, 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda, in conjunction with the EDCTP Forum.
Symposium: Malaria in a Changing World: Past Lessons, Present Challenges, and Future Solutions
May 15, 2026, from 1:00-5:00PM (Reception to follow)
Location: 10th Floor Conference Room, Smith Center, 1350 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138
Session 1: Malaria historical perspectives
Dr Megan Michel: Origins of malaria; Prof Manoj Duraisingh: Origins of P. falciparum malaria, biological overview; and Prof Dyann Wirth: Overview of malaria control
Session 2: Current challenges
Prof Marcia Castro: Malaria and Climate change; Prof Fitsum Tadesse (AHRI, Ethiopia): Current challenges in malaria control; and Prof Dan Neafsey: Human migration in Mesoamerica
Session 3: Tools and solutions
Prof Flaminia Catteruccia: Novel sustainable methods to prevent transmission and Prof Azza Idris (MGH-HMS): New therapies for disease control
“Science of Defeating Malaria,” a leadership development course
June 2-7, 2024
Location: Ho, Ghana
The annual leadership course, “Science of Defeating Malaria,” organized by Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar in Senegal, Harvard University in the USA, and the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana, will be held from June 2-7, 2024, in Ghana. Read more
“Science of Defeating Malaria,” a leadership development course
June 18-23, 2023
Location: Dakar, Senegal
Leveraging a legacy of learning from past efforts (“Science of Eradication: Malaria” from 2012-2022), Harvard and a consortium of African universities, international partners, and sponsors have partnered to transition the leadership course to Africa.
“Science of Defeating Malaria” is organized by Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar in Senegal, Harvard University in the USA, and the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana. The inaugural African edition of the leadership course will be held from June 18-23, 2023, at UCAD’s newly launched International Center for Research and Training in Applied Genomics and Health Surveillance in Dakar, Senegal. Read more
Pathogen Variants to Public Health Practice Symposium
December 5, 2022
Location: In-person Broad Institute & Virtual Webinar
A symposium discussion centered on current work across the Broad community and an exploration of new directions in pathogen genome and data science for public health impact at home and around the world. Read more
“Science of Eradication: Malaria,” leadership development course
June 19-24, 2022
Location: Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center
An intensive, weeklong foundational leadership development course that provides participants with a multidisciplinary perspective on approaches to malaria elimination and eradication.Read more
Rethinking Malaria in the Context of COVID-19
September 28–29, 2021
Location: Virtual Webinar
(Coming Soon!) Watch a special 2-day webinar on focused on thematic topics stemming from the “Rethinking Malaria in the Context of COVID–19” global engagement—Malaria Governance, Integrated Service Delivery, Training & Capacity Building for Malaria.
In keeping with a longstanding academic tradition, and in partnership with a committed network of co-sponsors, we have assembled a diverse group of stakeholders to share multidisciplinary perspectives in a neutral and inclusive learning environment. Together, we will identify and discuss actions—including ideas and findings from the “Rethinking Malaria” global engagement—to overcome the recent plateau in malaria progress and enable the most effective and innovative response to control and eliminate malaria worldwide. Webinar recording – coming soon!Read more
Rethinking Malaria in the Context of COVID-19
September 1, 2021
Location: Virtual Webinar
Watch the global webinar on “Rethinking Malaria in the Context of COVID-19,” in English, French, Portuguese & Spanish.
Watch the livestream here.Read more
MalariaX: Defeating Malaria from the Genes to the Globe
Enrollment Open Now–July 28, 2021
Location:
How can we eradicate malaria? Enroll in the free online “MalariaX: Defeating Malaria from the Genes to the Globe” course and learn more. Course enrollment is open on the edX online learning site through October 31, 2021!
Enroll in MalariaX today!Read more
From 30 Million to Zero Malaria Cases in China: Lessons Learned for Malaria-Eliminating Countries in Africa
December 7–8, 2020
Location: Live Stream in English/Mandarin
Harvard University, National Institute for Parasitic Diseases, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization convened, “From 30 Million to Zero Malaria Cases in China: Lessons Learned for Malaria-Eliminating Countries in Africa.”
Watch the event in English and Mandarin Chinese. An agenda, pre-read, and speaker bios are here.Read more
A Conversation with Professor Dyann Wirth, Chair, WHO’s Malaria Policy Advisory Committee
April 29, 2020
Location: Online via Zoom
How is the WHO addressing COVID-19 and its impact on the burden and control of endemic infectious diseases, like malaria? Is chloroquine a potential COVID-10 treatment, and what’s the impact on its availability as a front line malaria therapy?
Speakers: Dyann F. Wirth, Richard Pearson Strong Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Q&A to immediately follow the talk, view the full event here.
A Point-CounterPoint Discussion: Malaria Eradication Within a Generation?
October 8, 2019
Location: Kresge, Room G2, Harvard Chan
Malaria is one of the oldest and deadliest afflictions of humankind. The Lancet Commission on Malaria Eradication posits malaria eradication can be done by 2050 or sooner with specific measures in the areas of software, hardware, finance, and leadership/accountability. The report findings are in contrast to the recently released Executive Summary of the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Malaria Eradication, which did not call for an eradication goal or timeline. Join us for a point-counterpoint discussion regarding the difference in these two malaria eradication strategies, specifically the pros and cons of setting a formal eradication goal and timeline.
Speakers:
Nicholas Arisco, PhD Candidate, Population Health Sciences
Esias Bedingar, SM Candidate, Global Health & Population
Caroline Buckee, PhD, Associate Professor of Epidemiology
Richard Cash, MPH, MD, Senior Lecturer on Global Health
Marcia Castro, PhD, Andelot Professor of Demography and Chair, Department of Global Health & Population
Watch the event here.