The IVM programme of AUDA-NEPAD supported The University of Bamako and the National Biosafety Committee to conduct an inception training session for the members of the recently established Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) of the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies (Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB) from September 20 – 21, in Bamako, Mali.

The key objective of the training was to strengthen the capacity of the newly appointed members of the USTTB Biosafety and Biosecurity Institutional Committee (CIPPB), and to brainstorm on the operationalization of the committee. The meeting specifically aimed to (i) Introduce CIPBB members with the basics of Gene Drive technology and its potential applications for malaria vector control, (ii) the general context related to the development of innovative strategies for malaria elimination, (iii) specific items of the international governance that are relevant to Gene Drive technology. Other objectives included familiarizing CIPBB members with biosafety regulatory framework in force in Mali, providing them with an update on the ongoing research on GM mosquitoes in the country and providing a platform for discussion on the roles and responsibilities expected from CIPBB in accordance with the regulatory provisions.

The meeting was opened jointly by the USTBB Deputy Vice-Chancellor, chairperson of the Institutional Biosafety Committee, on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, and the representative of the AUDA-NEPAD IVM programme. The training was technically delivered jointly by the AUDA-NEPAD IVM team and experts from the Burkina Faso Biosafety Agency. Beyond the training, the convening provided a great opportunity for Malian stakeholders to discuss overarching issues associated with the Malian 2008 Biosafety law. Consensus was reached on the need to review the law and align it with the new context and requirements. Concerns were also raised about the poor linkages between various organs within the national biosafety system especially between CIPBB and the national biosafety committee.  

The USTTB IBC was established through a decision by the Vice-Chancellor in March 2021 after a lengthy process started in 2015. It has a broader scope than usual IBCs and covers not only biosafety but also biosecurity. USTTB hosts the Malaria Research and Training Centre currently working on GM mosquitoes to develop the Gene Drive technology. The 2008 Biosafety Law of the Republic of Mali provides that institutions that are engaged in modern biotechnology shall establish an institutional public biosafety committee. Thus, the University committee is named Comité Institutionnel Public de Biosécurité et Biosûreté (CIPPB).

Many more trainings and outreach are needed to ensure a greater awareness on genetically based vector control (GBVC) and its applications for human health. AUDA-NEPAD IVM will provide the necessary support for a robust regulatory system in Mali.