Burkina Faso has ordered the suspension of a project backed by billionaire Bill Gates that deployed genetically modified mosquitoes to combat malaria.
The Target Malaria initiative, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was instructed to halt all activities, officials confirmed Friday.
The project, uniting over 150 African and Western researchers, began releasing genetically modified mosquitoes in 2019 and continued this month.
Burkina Faso’s military administration, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré since a 2022 coup, has increasingly restricted foreign-funded NGOs in recent months.
Authorities revoked the licenses of 21 international organisations between June and July, citing concerns about outside influence and national sovereignty.
Target Malaria argued it had complied with national legislation since 2012 and pledged to cooperate fully with the government’s directives.
Malaria remains among Burkina Faso’s deadliest challenges, with more than eight million infections and over 16,000 deaths reported in 2023 alone.
The disease kills over half a million people annually across Africa, where prevention efforts remain hindered by poverty, conflict, and weak health infrastructure.
Opponents say genetically modified organisms pose ethical risks and could unleash unpredictable consequences on ecosystems already fragile from climate stress.
“This technology is highly controversial and poses ethical challenges. We should prioritize safe alternatives,” said activist Ali Tapsoba on Friday.
The initiative has also faced disinformation campaigns, some amplified by government-linked social media accounts, further eroding trust in scientific interventions.
For now, the halt leaves Burkina Faso straddling a delicate balance between scientific ambition and political assertion, with malaria still stalking millions.
The suspension symbolises a broader struggle between global innovation and national control, where health, politics, and sovereignty collide under turbulent skies.
