DJIBOUTI, DJIBOUTI – In a significant move to combat malaria, tens of thousands of genetically modified (GMO) mosquitoes have been released in Djibouti. This initiative aims to control the spread of the invasive Anopheles stephensi species, which has drastically increased malaria cases in the region.
Developed by UK-based biotechnology company Oxitec, these non-biting male mosquitoes carry a gene that prevents female offspring from reaching maturity. Only female mosquitoes bite and transmit malaria, making this a targeted approach to reducing the disease’s transmission.
This is the first release of such mosquitoes in East Africa and the second on the continent, following previous successful deployments in Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Panama, and India. Since 2019, over a billion GMO mosquitoes have been released globally, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
On Thursday, the first batch of mosquitoes was released in Ambouli, a suburb of Djibouti city, marking the pilot phase of this project. The initiative is a collaboration between Oxitec Ltd, Djibouti’s government, and the NGO Association Mutualis. Oxitec head Grey Frandsen explained, “We have built good mosquitoes that do not bite, that do not transmit disease. And when we release these friendly mosquitoes, they seek out and mate with wild type female mosquitoes.”
The lab-produced mosquitoes carry a “self-limiting” gene that ensures female mosquito offspring do not survive to adulthood. The male offspring will eventually die out, reducing the overall mosquito population.
Unlike the sterile male Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes released in Burkina Faso in 2018, the Anopheles stephensi can still produce offspring. The Djibouti Friendly Mosquito Program, initiated two years ago, aims to address the spread of Anopheles stephensi, first detected in Djibouti in 2012. At that time, Djibouti was nearing malaria elimination, but cases surged to 73,000 by 2020.
The invasive species, originally from Asia, is challenging to control, resistant to chemical insecticides, and bites both day and night. It has spread to Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, Nigeria, and Ghana.
Dr. Abdoulilah Ahmed Abdi, a presidential health adviser in Djibouti, emphasized the urgency of reversing malaria transmission. “Not long ago, it [malaria] was extremely rare in our communities,” added Dr. Bouh Abdi Khaireh, director of Association Mutualis. “Now we see malaria patients suffer daily across Djibouti. There is an urgent need for new interventions.”
Djibouti’s small size and mostly urban population of just over a million have facilitated the project rollout. Saada Ismael, a malaria survivor involved in community preparation, expressed hope: “Malaria is a serious disease that really affects our health. People are really waiting to see how these friendly mosquitoes will help us win the fight.”
Genetically modified organisms have always been controversial in Africa, with environmental groups warning of potential impacts on ecosystems. However, Frandsen from Oxitec stated, “No adverse effects on environmental or human health have been documented over the 10 years we’ve been releasing modified mosquitoes. Our focus is ensuring that whatever we release in the environment is safe and highly effective.”
The modified genes are not present in mosquito saliva, meaning people bitten by these mosquitoes will not be affected. “This new solution may be controversial, but it is the future,” said Dr. Abdi, the presidential health adviser.
If successful, larger field trials and eventual operational deployment of the mosquitoes will continue into the next year. Malaria remains a deadly disease, killing at least 600,000 people annually worldwide, with nine in ten deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the World Health Organization.
