Uganda, a country heavily burdened by malaria, is taking a step towards potentially groundbreaking mosquito control.
This year, they plan to conduct controlled laboratory trials using a technology called “Friendly mosquitoes” developed by Oxitec, a British biotechnology company.
The technology utilizes genetically modified male mosquitoes.
These males are programmed to be sterile, disrupting mosquito breeding cycles and potentially leading to population decline.
This method aims to offer a safe and effective alternative to traditional insecticide-based control programs, which are becoming less effective due to rising mosquito resistance.
Professor Pontiano Kaleebu, Director of Uganda’s Virus Research Institute, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration.
He highlighted the technology’s potential to tackle the Anopheles funestus mosquito, a major malaria carrier in Uganda.
This particular species thrives outdoors and transmits the disease year-round, posing a significant challenge to current control efforts.
While the primary target of this technology is not the dominant malaria vector in Uganda, concerns exist about the potential spread of the Anopheles stephensi mosquito from neighboring Kenya.
This urban-breeding mosquito has been linked to malaria resurgence in the Horn of Africa and could pose a future threat to Uganda.
Oxitec remains committed to developing solutions for malaria-transmitting mosquitoes worldwide.
Their Chief Strategy Officer, Neil Morrison, emphasized their hope to collaborate with Uganda’s esteemed research institute to find solutions for the country’s specific mosquito challenges.
The success of this technology hinges on controlled laboratory trials.
If proven safe and effective, it could pave the way for field trials and potentially offer a powerful tool in the fight against malaria, a disease claiming countless lives each year.
