AUDA-NEPAD in collaboration with the Burkina Faso Biosafety Agency (Agence nationale de Biosécurité (ANB) and the Integrated Vector Management (IVM) partner Institutions in Burkina Faso held a working session from 9-10 September at Loumbila, Burkina Faso.

The Burkina Faso IVM platform is multisectoral and multidisciplinary and includes representatives from the health sector, environment, science and innovation, biosafety, and communication. Coordination of the platform is ensured by the National Malaria Research and Training Center (Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP) under the Ministry of Health, while the National Biosafety Agency (ANB) together with the AUDA-NEPAD Office in Burkina Faso serve as Secretariat to the platform. 

The two-day working retreat was meant for the platform members to share up-to-date information on health-related emerging technologies and to discuss how best to operationalize the platform.

Attendance and participation in the meeting demonstrated a high-level engagement from the representatives of key sectors including Ministry of health through the CNRFP, Ministry of Environment represented by the chairperson of international treaties, the CBD Focal Point, and the Nagoya Protocol on Benefit Sharing Focal Point.  Ministry of Higher education, science, technology, and innovation was represented by the Biosafety Agency (ANB), the Agricultural Research Institute (INERA), and the Health Research Institute (IRSS).

Meeting participants adopted a workplan proposed by the platform core team and made recommendations to reinforce the platform. These include finalizing agreements with AUDA-NEPAD to avail resources to the Ministry of Health through the CNRFP to ensure national ownership of the platform, providing support to develop communication materials with harmonized messaging that align with the official statements supporting the Gene Drive technology and accelerating the implementation of the action plan of the platform. AUDA-NEPAD will continue provide technical support to the Burkina-IVM platform which serves as a pilot that aims to be a model for other countries in Africa.