Dr Damaris Matoke-Muhia, Program Manager of Capacity Building, Gender Mainstreaming and Career Progression, Pan African Mosquito Control Association and Principal Research Scientist, Kenya Medical Research Institute.

Biography:  Dr Matoke-Muhia is a molecular biologist specializing on the control of insect vector-borne diseases (VBDs). Based in Kenya, she has extensive experience leading cutting-edge research on the biology and control of malaria mosquitoes, leishmaniasis and other vectors.  Alongside her research, she is a leading global advocate and activist for increasing the role of women, particularly from Africa, in the fight against malaria and other VBDs.  Through her leadership of the Pan-African Mosquito Control Association’s Woman in Vector Control (WiVC) and other initiatives, she has worked tirelessly to champion and support the participation of women in malaria control at all levels from community to senior research.  In recognition of her tremendous and inspiring contributions, she has been awarded numerous international awards including the Aspen New Voices in Global Health Fellowship, the Kofi Annan Global Health Leader Fellowship and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation “Heroes in the Field”. In this talk, she will reflect on her commitment and experiences in driving gender inclusion in Global Health.

You can find out more about Dr Matoke-Muhia and her work in this short video

The big push towards elimination of malaria and other vector-borne diseases: The Pan African Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA) experience of engaging women in vector control  

Despite the progress made in the control of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) in recent years, the burden of VBDs remains significantly high in tropical and subtropical regions. The complexity of global health problems demands involvement and leadership that represents pluralism in society. Recognizing the crucial contribution of African women to driving progress and their underrepresentation in research, the Pan-African Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA) established the Women in Vector Control (WiVC) program in (2019) with the goal of strengthening women’s participation and leadership in VBDs control and elimination initiatives in Africa.

In her role as leader of the WiVC initiative, Dr Matoke-Muhia will describe the substantial progress her team has made over the last five years in enhancing opportunities and career development for African women in research, and mainstreaming in gender in PAMCA programmes and activities. This includes the establishment of the bespoke structured mentorship “LiftHer2”, numerous training and engagement workshops, and the establishment of an awards programme to increase the visibility and recognize the excellent contributions of African women in the VBDs fight.

The WiVC Program has showcased the value of training, mentorship and recognition of excellence for empowering and enhancing leadership roles for African women in research. The programme has rapidly increased to the pool of skilled and knowledgeable African women with capability and confidence to address VBDs, thus contributing to the sustainability of vector control initiatives and elimination programs in the continent.