Recent years have seen unprecedented increases in malaria incidence in Djibouti’s capital city, where 70% of the population live, and the city’s surrounding communities.
Since the arrival of the invasive malaria species Anopheles stephensi, first reported in 2012, annual malaria cases which previously numbered in the hundreds, are now being reported by public health authorities in tens of thousands.
This urban invasion has exposed most of the country’s population to a new, and very deadly threat. More than 10% of the country’s population was estimated to be infected in 2018.
In May 2022, Oxitec, Association Mutualis, and the Djibouti National Malaria Control Programme (PNLP) announced the launch of a partnership, formed in response to a request from the Government of Djibouti, to explore how Oxitec’s Friendly™ solutions can deliver impact in communities threatened by vector-borne diseases. Find out more about the Djibouti FriendlyTM Mosquito Program on our project website, including further information about our partners.
Anopheles stephensi
Anopheles stephensi is the dominant malaria vector in South Asia and the Middle East. Around 2012 it invaded Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, and has since spread to several neighbouring countries, and as it spreads further experts warn of disastrous malaria outbreaks across African cities. Unlike most malaria vectors, Anopheles stephensi is adept at colonizing urban environments, and therefore, presents a significant risk to millions of people living in dense city populations.
We are developing a Friendly™ Anopheles stephensi, powered by the same Friendly™ technology that has been proven against Aedes aegypti. Friendly™ mosquitoes carry a self-limiting gene that prevents female offspring from surviving, allowing for male-only production.
Development of this Friendly™ Anopheles solution is at an early stage, but in the future is anticipated to be an important solution to manage this malaria-transmitting mosquito.
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