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Genetically modified (GMO) mosquitoes have been released in Djibouti in East Africa on May 23, 2024 to fight malaria.
The release occurred in Ambouli, a suburb of Djibouti City, as part of a pilot project by Oxitec Ltd, Djibouti government and Association Mutualis, a non-governmental organisation.
The release is part of the ‘Djibouti Friendly Mosquito Programme’ started two years ago to stop the spread of Anopheles stephensi, an invasive species of mosquito.
In 2012, when Anopheles stephensi was first detected in Africa, Djibouti reported 27 cases of malaria. By 2020, the country’s malaria caseload had crossed 73,000.
This highly invasive mosquito had migrated to Africa from South Asia and the Arabian Peninsula.
The invasive mosquito has continued to spread to other countries in the African continent, with cases reported in Ethiopia and Sudan in 2016, Somalia in 2019 and Nigeria in 2020.
Unlike other malaria-carrying mosquitoes in Africa that primarily breed in rural areas, Anopheles stephensi is well adapted to the urban environment. This characteric is particularly dangerous for Djibouti, where 70 per cent of the population live in the capital city and are exposed to the malaria vector.
To combat these urban invaders, Oxitec, a biotechnology company developed a method that uses mosquitoes to fight mosquitoes. They have released genetically altered male mosquitoes carrying a special gene that prevents their female offspring from reaching adulthood.
The method targets female mosquitoes, which are predominantly responsible for malaria transmission. By reducing the female mosquito population, scientists hope to significantly decrease the spread of the disease. Male mosquitoes do not bite and therefore cannot transmit malaria. Oxitec’s safe, sustainable and targeted biological pest control technology is ideally and uniquely suited to control this public health threat.
This is the first time a genetically engineered mosquito has been released in East Africa and the second time on the African continent. Burkina Faso in West Africa conducted the first ever release of genetically modified mosquitoes in Africa in the village of Bana.
The pilot run followed a detailed study of Anopheles stephensi distribution, abundance and behaviour in Djiboutian towns and neighborhoods over more than two years, alongside deep local community and stakeholder engagement over two years. In workshops and public meetings, health officials, local community leaders and regional experts have contributed to the design and implementation of field studies.