Ifakara Health Institute celebrates legacy rooted in science and partnership

Ifakara. The Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) has launched celebrations to mark 70 years of health research and innovation, reflecting on a journey that began as a small field laboratory and grew into one of Africa’s leading research institutions.

Speaking at the launch of the IHI@70 anniversary at Homeland Hall in Ifakara on Thursday, 12 February, Executive Director Dr Honorati Masanja described the milestone as a celebration of resilience and impact.

“We are not just gathered to mark a date on the calendar. We are here to celebrate seven decades of persistence, discovery and an unwavering commitment to the health of humanity,” Dr Masanja said.

Founded in 1956 as the Swiss Tropical Institute Field Laboratory (STIFL) under the Swiss Tropical Institute in Basel, Switzerland, the institute has evolved into an African-led organisation with international recognition and operational bases in Dar es Salaam, Ifakara and Bagamoyo.

“For 70 years, Ifakara has been at the front lines of the world’s most pressing health challenges. Our impact is measured not just in peer-reviewed papers, but in lives saved and diseases defeated,” Dr Masanja said.

Over the decades, IHI has contributed significantly to malaria control, including testing insecticide-treated bed nets and conducting early vaccine trials. It has also strengthened maternal and child health, tuberculosis diagnostics, HIV care models and health systems research, while advancing work in genomics, artificial intelligence and climate-sensitive disease surveillance.

Board Chair of IHI, Prof Abraham Mnzava, said the anniversary is not only about longevity but measurable results.

“Seventy years is not merely a number. It is a testament to resilience. It is evidence of relevance. It is proof of sustained excellence,” Prof Mnzava said.

He noted that IHI’s health and demographic surveillance systems now cover more than one million people, generating critical data that informs national policy and global health strategies.

“Behind every dataset is a mother protected from malaria. Behind every clinical trial is a child given a chance to grow,” he said, adding that the institute’s enduring Swiss–Tanzanian partnership has been central to its growth.

Delivering a keynote address on behalf of former leaders, Prof Andrew Yona Kitua, Associate Research Professor at Kairuki University and former IHI director, reflected on the institute’s evolution and his personal journey.

"Achieving 70 years of growth portrays maturity and the acquisition of wisdom through enduring hardships and tackling many challenges with determination,” Prof Kitua said.

He recalled arriving in Ifakara in 1992 from Seychelles and finding a remote town with no tarmacked roads and frequent flooding.

“It was both shocking and challenging,” he said, noting that the area’s heavy malaria burden once shaped perceptions of the town.

Despite the difficulties, Prof Kitua said it was the people who sustained the institution.

“As the saying goes, ‘Kifumwa ni vantu’ — it is the people who make the king. It is the same people who have made Ifakara Health Institute what it is today, at 70 years.

As part of the anniversary programme, IHI will host scientific symposia, community outreach activities and innovation forums throughout the year.

Looking ahead, Dr Masanja said the institute is preparing for emerging challenges including climate-sensitive diseases, pandemics and digital health equity.

“We are building sustainable systems that will protect future generations,” she said.

From a remote laboratory in the Kilombero Valley to a globally influential research institution, IHI’s 70-year journey stands as a testament to science, partnership and service to humanity.