AU Malaria Institute, GBGM in renewed fight to save lives

By Juliet Sithole

Africa University (AU) has officially launched the AU Malaria Institute, formerly known as the Zimbabwe Entomological Support Programme in Malaria (ZENTO), marking a substantial milestone in the fight against one of Africa’s most tenacious public health challenges. 

The relaunch comes with a renewed partnership, fresh funding and an expanded vision to transform malaria research into tangible solutions for Zimbabwe, the African region, and beyond.

Speaking at the dedication event for the Institute, Vice Chancellor Reverend Professor Peter Mageto stressed the significance of the new partnership with the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) of the United Methodist Church, which has committed the grant to revitalise the institute’s work. 

“Africa University was founded on faith and prayer, and because of this, we will never lack,” he said. “With GBGM joining us as a partner, we celebrate the financial support and also the confidence placed in our capacity to lead transformative research. This relaunch is not just about producing academic publications, it is about research that saves lives,” Rev Prof Mageto added.

He called on the Institute to embrace data-driven approaches that link research to economic, health and social transformation. He challenged AU’s faculty and researchers to integrate their expertise into the work of the Institute, ensuring that its impact extends well beyond entomological studies to incorporate broader societal benefits. 

“Malaria still remains a challenge across Africa, and this centre has the potential to become a flagship not only for Zimbabwe but for the entire continent,” he said, before urging the students to seize this opportunity with determination. 

“Money follows good ideas. Let us generate and plant those good ideas. The AU Malaria Institute must stand as a model of how faith, science and innovation can come together to transform communities and save lives.”

Prof. Sungano Mharakurwa, the Director of the AU Malaria Institute and long-time team leader of the programme, reflected on the project’s journey from humble beginnings. He recalled how the team’s early findings once unsettled authorities by exposing inefficiencies in malaria control strategies. 

“We began as a small faith-based team, bringing evidence that at first was uncomfortable to many. Yet, when the Ministry of Health tested our findings on a larger scale, they confirmed our work and used our data to change national malaria control policy,” he said.

The Institute’s efforts had a measurable impact, particularly in Manicaland Province and neighbouring districts, which at one point contributed more than 50% of Zimbabwe’s annual malaria burden. Its success led to national recognition, with AU entrusted to oversee malaria monitoring across the country. Nonetheless, the withdrawal of global funding earlier this year left the programme susceptible, just as malaria resurged with renewed intensity. 

Prof. Mharakurwa expressed gratitude to GBGM for stepping in at a critical moment: “We are re-energized to get back to combating malaria and ultimately eliminating it. GBGM has shown even greater ambition than us, setting targets that cover entire episcopal areas ravaged by this preventable disease, which still kills 600 000 people every year,” he said.

The relaunch positions AU as a hub for health innovation, capable of linking entomological research with social science, economics and technology to address one of the continent’s oldest scourges. Through embracing the heritage-based Education 5.0 philosophy and Africa University’s 2023–2027 Strategic Plan, the AU Malaria Institute is set to contribute to local and global goals of eradicating malaria, at the same time, training the next generation of African scientists and public health leaders.

Prof. Eltony Mugomeri, Director of Research and Innovation lauded the GBGM for the support, as well as the AU team for their effort in “coming up with a proposal that made us win this grant. The launch of the AU Malaria Institute reaffirms AU’s role as a center of academic excellence and driver of Africa’s health and development agenda,” he said.

With this partnership, stronger resolve, and a vision that blends science with service, the AU Malaria Institute is set to become an inspiration of hope in the global fight against malaria.