Accra, Ghana – December 2, 2025. This week in Accra, Ghana, leading scientists, regulators, social scientists and policy actors from across Africa and the global research community are taking a hard, practical look at how gene drive technologies are advancing and what it will take to govern them responsibly.

Hosted at the Labadi Beach Hotel, the Forum is bringing together voices that rarely share the same table: researchers charting the technical frontier, regulators refining biosafety pathways, community-engagement experts shaping public trust, and African institutions working to align innovation with public interest

From deep-dive sessions on social science methods to real-world regulatory case studies from Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Tanzania, the conversations are sharpening Africa’s collective readiness for next-generation biocontrol tools. The exchanges on global governance, community perspectives, and indigenous knowledge systems highlight a shared commitment: innovation must be paired with robust, inclusive, and context-grounded decision-making.

For AUDA-NEPAD, the Forum offers a strategic space to advance continental coordination, strengthen regulatory capacity, and ensure that Africa remains a central actor in shaping the future of genetic biocontrol for public health.

The discussions continue through 4 December, with a final synthesis on how the insights generated here will translate into actionable value for national and regional biosafety systems.

To learn more about our Integrated Vector Management Program, visit: https://www.nepad.org/microsite/integrated-vector-management-ivm