Ugandan scientists turn to genetically engineered mosquitoes in malaria fight

Sep 11, 2022

Scientists hope to introduce mosquitoes that have been genetically engineered to gradually reduce the malaria-spreading characteristics among all mosquito species in a sustainable manner

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Sam Wakhakha
Journalist @New Vision

Ugandan scientists hope to deploy genetically engineered mosquitoes in the effort to completely eliminate malaria from the country and sub-Saharan Africa.

The scientists hope to do this through the gene drive technology that was identified by African Union’s High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies as a priority technology for malaria elimination. 

The first field trials for the exercise are expected in five–10 years in Uganda, Mali and Burkina Faso, according to Dr Chris Opesen, one of the expert researchers from Makerere University.

Under gene drive technology, scientists hope to introduce mosquitoes that have been genetically engineered to gradually reduce the malaria-spreading characteristics among all mosquito species in a sustainable manner. 

“The drive (protein) will be injected into the mosquito eggs using a special machine to either suppress or eliminate the malaria-spreading characteristics or traits that are present in the female anopheles mosquitoes.  The mosquitoes with then drive will gradually reduce the malaria-spreading characteristics in all mosquitoes through mating and reproduction,” Dr Opesen said.

But before the mosquitoes with the gene drive technology are released into the field, an enabling law permitting the use of genetically modified organisms will have to be enacted by Parliament.

Currently, sub-Saharan Africa accounts for over half of the malaria deaths in the world and scientists are working around the clock to eliminate the disease. Already, some countries have completely eliminated malaria. Uganda has the third highest global burden of malaria cases (5%) and the eighth highest rate of deaths (3%). 

Over 40 countries were granted a malaria-free certification by the World Health Organisation. Some of the most recent ones are El Salvador (2021), Algeria (2019), Argentina (2019), Paraguay (2018) and Uzbekistan (2018). 

 

Dr Monica Musenero, the minister of science and technology, welcomed the deployment of gene drive technology and other innovations to tackle malaria and other problems in the health sector. 

Speaking during a workshop in Entebbe organised by the Centre for Policy Analysis, a non-government organisation under their Health Tech Platform project. It was attended by MPs under the Parliamentary Forum on Malaria. 

"There is a need for a serious dialogue to manage science. No country can ever develop without a clear Science Agenda," Musenero told the participants who were mainly MPs, who attended a two-day workshop in Entebbe on Friday. 

“We are working on a vaccine facility and we have embarked on working on the first indigenous malaria vaccine in Uganda. Different research teams are working on different versions. We hope by March the facility will be standing,” she said.

Dr Jonathan Kayondo, a medical expert, said there was a need for more innovation in the effort to fight malaria because of the emergence of mosquitoes that are resistant to insecticides, resistance in the parasites against drugs and behavioural changes in mosquitoes to avoid nets and commencement of biting people outdoors. 

Musenero promised to broaden the Genetic Engineering Regulation Bill to cover emerging health technologies among other issues and bring it back to Parliament this year. 

President Yoweri Museveni has on two occasions declined to sign the GMO Bill, calling for a carefully thought-out approach to the issue. The first time Museveni rejected the Bill was in December 2017 and the second time was in 2019. In both cases, Parliament had passed it. 

"The issue of GMOs and genetic modification of our seeds, livestock and now, I hear GMO mosquitoes, touches not only on science but agriculture, ecology, food and national security and indeed the sovereignty of our nation. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance that we proceed with caution and include the necessary safeguards in this law," Museveni stated while rejecting the Bill.

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