Issues in Brief, No. 8, June 2009

Learning From the Past: The Future of Malaria in Africa
By Melissa Graboyes

June 2009 (8 pages)
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In April 2009, Boston University’s African Studies Center was the lead sponsor of a two-day event titled ‘Africa 2060 A.D.: What We Don’t Know About Malaria, and When Didn’t We Know It.” Based on the discussion that took place among the experts gathered over the two days, this paper explores the theme posited in the event’s title. In particular, the paper is framed by conversations that centered on the benefits of “failure analysis” – a rigorous study of the failures of past eradication attempts. The paper concludes:” The challenge confronting malaria experts in the coming years is to find a way to offer a different response.”

This paper is part of the Africa 2060 Project, a Pardee Center program of research, publications and symposia exploring African futures in various aspects related to development on continental and regional scales. The views expressed in this paper are strictly those of the author and should not be assumed to represent the views of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future or of Boston University.

Melissa Graboyes is a doctoral candidate in the Department of History at Boston University, currently writing her dissertation about the history of medical research in East Africa. She has master’s degrees in public health and history. Luckily, despite nearly three years working in Africa in five different countries, she is yet to get malaria.