Daily Hot Topic
Topic : Fighting Malaria with Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
GS-3 Mains : Science and Tech
Revision Notes
Malaria: A Deadly Threat
- Malaria is a life-threatening parasitic disease transmitted by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
- It primarily affects tropical and subtropical regions.
- In 2021, there were an estimated 247 million malaria cases and 619,000 deaths worldwide.
- Africa carries the heaviest burden, accounting for 96% of malaria deaths globally.
GM Mosquitoes: A New Weapon
- Scientists are using genetic modification to develop mosquitoes that can suppress malaria transmission.
- The approach involves releasing genetically engineered male mosquitoes into the wild.
- These males carry a gene that prevents their female offspring from reaching adulthood, ultimately reducing the mosquito population that can transmit malaria.
How it Works:
- Female mosquitoes, not males, bite humans and transmit malaria.
- By targeting female mosquito offspring, this method aims to significantly reduce malaria transmission rates.
- The released male mosquitoes only mate with females, and they themselves cannot transmit malaria.
Global Fight Against Malaria:
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has set ambitious goals to reduce malaria cases and deaths by 2030.
- Initiatives like the ‘E-2025’ and ‘High Burden to High Impact (HBHI)’ programs target specific countries with high malaria prevalence for eradication or significant reduction.
India’s Fight Against Malaria:
- India aims to eliminate malaria entirely by 2027.
- The National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) and Malaria Elimination Research Alliance-India (MERA-India) are key programs driving this goal.
Source : https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/africa/djibouti-releases-gm-mosquitoes-to-fight-malaria-how-it-works-96392#:~:text=Genetically%20modified%20(GMO)%20mosquitoes%20were,
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