We are proud to share highlights from the Dottorati di ricerca Italia-Africa initiative. This collaborative programme between the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) and Sapienza Università di Roma, and African Institutions is dedicated to fostering high-level research partnerships between Italy and African institutions to tackle critical global health challenges.
On May 12th, 2026, the ISS in Rome hosted an international meeting to showcase the impactful work of the PhD candidates so far on the Dottorati di ricerca Italia-Africa initiative from Ghana, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Senegal.
A key highlight was the presentation by our PhD student, Eric Ebenezer Boham. His project, "Unveiling Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte dynamics in asymptomatic malaria," provides vital insights into the human bone marrow microenvironment as a reservoir for malaria parasites.
Our Research Group Leader, Bismarck Dinko, PhD, and the Ghanaian (KNUST) supervisor for Mr Boham, as well as Dr Francesco Silvestrini, Eric’s Italian (ISS) supervisor, contributed to the discussions. They highlighted the importance of understanding malaria parasite sequestration in human bone marrow (hBM) for malaria elimination, as well as strategies for accessing hBM for malaria studies.
This essential work is based on a strong collaboration between the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
The event brought together distinguished institutional leaders, including:
Rocco Bellantone, Presidente dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanità, and Antonella Polimeni, Rector of Sapienza University of Rome. They were joined by representatives from the European Commission and the Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale to discuss translating these research projects into sustainable, long-term scientific diplomacy and international cooperation.
