Building on the strategic foundation laid during the 2025 launch in Nairobi, Mamodex has officially transitioned into the data-intensive operational phase of the Project. On March 16th and 17th, 2026, a workshop was hosted at the Holiday Inn, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, focusing on Work Packages 4 and 5, the core components dedicated to identifying implementation barriers and mapping the stakeholder landscape across East Africa and the DRC.

While the inaugural meeting in Nairobi established the project's governance and scientific framework, this latest session marks a significant shift toward the technical execution of research goals. The project is now entering a rigorous data collection and review stage, this phase involves deep-dive research into the specific hurdles that prevent malaria interventions such as Post-Discharge Malaria Chemoprevention (PDMC), Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC), and the latest malaria vaccines from achieving maximum impact in local communities. The workshop served to emphasize the transition from defining the project’s high-level objectives to the practical implementation of its research work streams. Regional experts gathered to synchronize these efforts:

Prof. Andrew Kitua & Prof. Kiwara: Provided a comprehensive review of Year 1 activities and translated key findings from the Dodoma consultative meeting into actionable research data.

Prof. Esther Ngadaya & Prof. Jesse: Led the technical mapping of the stakeholder landscape, identifying key players within National Malaria Control Programs (NMCPs) National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups(NITAGs), Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI programs) and policymakers

A significant portion of the two-day workshop was dedicated to the development of specialized "Implementation Barrier Tools." These include sophisticated interview guides, surveys, and policy consultation frameworks. Rather than just collecting raw data, these tools are designed to ensure that the mathematical models produced by MAMODEX are grounded in the practical realities faced by health ministers and frontline healthcare workers. This ensures that the final modelling outputs are not just scientifically accurate, but "policy-ready" for integration into national health budgets and strategies.

As MAMODEX enters its second year, the project's Technical and Steering Committees are spearheading several key initiatives:

1. Barrier Identification: Leading the research into the socio-economic and logistical factors that limit vaccine and chemoprevention uptake.

2. Multinational Coordination: Facilitating the stakeholder engagement framework that connects health authorities in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and the DRC.

3.Communication Strategy: Developing the policy briefs and dissemination tools necessary to turn research data into life-saving public health decisions.

The workshop concluded with a formalized Action Plan for the next three years. With a clear focus on communication and stakeholder engagement, KIUT is positioned to help the MAMODEX partnership provides the evidence-based roadmap needed to protect Africa’s children and accelerate the path to malaria elimination.