In a groundbreaking initiative, genetically engineered mosquitoes have been released in Djibouti, a small East African country, to tackle a significant increase in malaria cases caused by an invasive mosquito species. Djibouti, with its population of just over a million people, has witnessed a staggering rise in malaria infections, soaring from 27 cases in 2012 to over 70,000 in recent years, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The spike in malaria cases has been attributed to the arrival of Anopheles stephensi, an invasive mosquito species originally from Asia, which now poses a regional threat not only to Djibouti but also to neighboring countries like Ethiopia and Somalia. Unlike most malaria-transmitting mosquitoes found in rural areas, Anopheles stephensi thrives in urban environments, exacerbating the public health challenge for predominantly urban Djibouti.

To address this pressing issue, Djibouti has turned to gene-modified mosquitoes developed by Oxitec, a US-owned biotechnology firm. Grey Frandsen, the CEO of Oxitec, emphasized that Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes evade conventional tools, such as insecticides and bed nets, making them particularly difficult to control. Oxitec's technology targets female mosquitoes, which are primarily responsible for transmitting malaria, by releasing genetically engineered male mosquitoes into the wild. When these modified males mate with the females, the introduced gene prevents female offspring from surviving to adulthood, effectively reducing the population of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes.

Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh, Djibouti's health minister, expressed confidence in the new technology, stating that it could be a "game changer" in reducing the spread of malaria. The project is still in the pilot phase but holds great promise for Djibouti and beyond. Oxitec's genetic technology has previously demonstrated success in reducing populations of dengue-spreading mosquitoes in Brazil by more than 95%.

Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Oxitec's initiative in Djibouti marks only the second instance of genetically modified mosquitoes being released in Africa. In 2019, Burkina Faso became the pioneer in using gene-modified mosquitoes to address malaria. The genetically modified mosquitoes released in Burkina Faso were made sterile, unable to produce offspring, and initial results showed reduced mobility and lower survival rates compared to their non-transgenic counterparts. A second trial phase is underway in the country to gather more data.

The deployment of genetically engineered mosquitoes in Djibouti has garnered attention across Africa. In January, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni announced a partnership with Oxitec to combat malaria in his country. Africa continues to bear the brunt of the global malaria burden, accounting for 96% of malaria deaths worldwide in 2021, according to the WHO.

As Djibouti and other African nations explore innovative approaches to combat malaria, the use of genetically modified mosquitoes shows promise in significantly reducing the population of disease-transmitting mosquitoes. With further research and successful trials, this technology could revolutionize malaria control efforts on the continent, offering hope for a future with reduced malaria transmission and improved public health.