12Sep 24
Every year on August 20, World Mosquito Day reminds us of the ongoing battle against one of humanity’s oldest adversaries: malaria. This day commemorates Sir Ronald Ross’ 1897 discovery that female Anopheles mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting malaria parasites.
Although there are over 3500 different species of mosquitoes worldwide, only those in the genus Anopheles can transmit malaria. In the African region, which accounts for over 95% of malaria deaths globally, some of the most common malaria vector species include Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles funestus.
Gains made in controlling Anopheles mosquitoes and the spread of malaria are increasingly threatened by the rise of resistance to available interventions, such as antimalarial drugs and insecticides. As highlighted in the World Health Organization’s 2023 World Malaria Report, climate change is another critical factor threatening progress in the fight against malaria. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events and shifting rainfall patterns could expand the geographical areas where Anopheles mosquitoes thrive and extend malaria transmission seasons.
Amidst growing challenges, researchers are working to develop new tools and strategies to strengthen and complement existing malaria control efforts. This World Mosquito Day, we are spotlighting 9 researchers and experts who are driving progress in the fight against malaria.
Benard Epanu, Insectary Assistant, Target Malaria, Uganda Virus Research Institute
The fight against malaria is facing many challenges, including insufficient funding, insecticide resistance, and the growing impacts of climate change. Climate change could expand mosquitoes’ habitats, potentially leading to an increase in malaria cases globally and threatening gains made with existing interventions. At the Uganda Virus Research Institute, we collect mosquitoes and analyze them in our laboratory to better understand their behavior. This helps guide our research at Target Malaria, which is focused on developing a gene drive technology to reduce the population of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes. This approach could potentially offer a sustainable and long-term solution to control malaria, especially in light of imminent challenges such as climate change.
Lison Laroche, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Transmission Zero, Imperial College London
Malaria remains a significant public health issue in Africa. Alongside existing challenges in the fight against the disease, climate change threatens to increase the spread of malaria by expanding the habitats of Anopheles mosquitoes. Traditional vector control measures have certain limitations, which has prompted research into innovative solutions. At Transmission Zero, we are leveraging gene drive technology to develop transgenic Anopheles mosquitoes that could reduce malaria transmission by spreading genes that hinder mosquitoes’ ability to transmit the malaria parasite. This approach has the potential to achieve a significant reduction in malaria transmission, offering a sustainable and targeted strategy to fight the disease. I will soon be joining my colleagues at the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) in Tanzania where I will be working to develop and inform protocols for potential future field trials of genetically modified mosquitoes.
Moeez Khan, Postdoctoral Researcher, Transmission Zero, Imperial College London
Some people think of malaria as a disease of the past. In much of Sub-Saharan Africa however, malaria is a harsh reality that one must contend with every single day. The past decade has seen a stagnation in the reduction of global malaria cases, a worrying indicator that current strategies like insecticide treatment are losing their effectiveness. New solutions are needed. I am exploring a potential new approach called gene drive which can spread a selected genetic trait through a population rapidly over several generations. This technology can be used to propagate an “anti-malarial” gene that stops mosquitoes from transmitting the malaria parasite. My work focuses on improving this approach so that it will be ready for potential field trials in the future.
Muhammad Mukhtar, Director/ Senior Vector Control Specialist, and Head of R&D Wing., Directorate of Malaria Control (DoMC) – Pakistan: Executive Department, Ministry of National Health Services Regulation & Coordination (NHSRC), Government of Pakistan
According to the long-term Climate Risk Index spanning from 2000 to 2019, Pakistan ranked eighth among the nations most affected by climate change-related extreme weather events. The devastating floods of 2022 affected 33 million people, particularly in malaria-endemic districts, and exacerbated challenges in disease control. In the large malaria epidemic that followed the floods, there was a fivefold increase in malaria cases in Pakistan when compared with the previous year. The Pakistan Directorate of Malaria Control is actively addressing climate and environment-related malaria challenges by enhancing surveillance, adapting prevention strategies, collaborating with other sectors, and strengthening community engagement. By integrating climate data and innovative technologies, we aim to predict outbreaks, implement timely interventions, and build resilience in vulnerable populations to achieve our ultimate goal of malaria elimination by 2035.
Nakitende Nanfuka Aisha, Insectary Assistant, Target Malaria, Uganda Virus Research Institute
Malaria continues to pose a significant challenge for many countries, contributing to thousands of deaths and straining health systems. With over 200 million cases of malaria recorded globally every year, there is an urgent need for new and complementary tools to control the disease. At Target Malaria, we are exploring a novel genetic technology called gene drive, which leverages the genetic makeup of mosquitoes to spread desirable traits throughout mosquito populations. The aim is to lead to a reduction in the population of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, which are the primary malaria vectors in sub-Saharan Africa. As they are self-sustaining, gene drives could complement existing tools for malaria control and help overcome barriers to healthcare access by reaching populations in hard-to-reach areas.
Rogers Atugonza, Entomology Field Officer, Target Malaria, Uganda Virus Research Institute
Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes are a major vector of malaria and are widespread in Uganda. At Target Malaria, we are working to develop new genetic tools to reduce populations of these mosquitoes, and thereby reduce malaria transmission. Part of my work involves routine monthly collections of adult female mosquitoes in different regions of the country with high malaria prevalence. We use morphological and PCR techniques to accurately identify the species collected. This genetic identification data provides a basis for us to work with, and develop an effective new tool for mosquito control. We hope that one day this technology could complement existing malaria control tools and help us achieve a malaria-free world.
Tembely Boubacar, PhD Student, African Center for Excellence in Molecular Engineering (ACEME)
Genetic control is a promising approach in the fight against malaria. By modifying mosquitoes, it is possible to introduce and spread desired traits throughout wild populations. My research focuses on Anopheles gambiae, the main vector of malaria transmission in most African countries. My PhD project involves better understanding the genes and mechanisms linked to the sterility of male An. gambiae mosquitoes. The ultimate goal is to help develop new tools to reduce the population of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes and ultimately stop transmission of the disease. As an African researcher, I am proud to contribute to the fight against this age-old disease through innovative genetic approaches.
Weitang Sun, Undergraduate Student, Champer Lab, Universidad de Pekín
In the face of challenges threatening the fight against malaria – such as growing resistance to available interventions and the evolving impacts of climate change on disease transmission – gene drive technologies offer a promising avenue. Suppression gene drives targeting female fertility genes present a potential strategy for controlling mosquitoes that transmit the disease. I am working to establish a mosquito population model that incorporates malaria transmission dynamics, in order to explore the feasibility of using gene drive technologies for malaria control in the field. My research also involves examining how different parameters, including the impacts of climate change on transmission intensity, mosquito reproductive cycles, and population density fluctuations, can influence the effectiveness of gene drive approaches.
Xuejiao Xu, Postdoctoral Researcher, Champer Lab, Universidad de Pekín
Despite ongoing efforts to combat malaria, the disease remains a significant and persistent public health challenge. My research focuses on developing novel genetic tools, particularly gene drives, to control Anopheles mosquitoes – one of the main vectors of malaria. One of the projects I am working on involves a gene drive construct targeting a sex-determination gene in mosquitoes. This approach is able to disrupt mosquito reproduction, eventually leading to a reduction in the mosquito population. Our goal is to develop a successful gene drive system that could help control Anopheles mosquitoes and therefore reduce the spread of malaria.
