Health 16 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Gene Drive Technology Emerges as Promising Malaria Fighter in Uganda
Ugandan scientists at Target Malaria and the Uganda Virus Research Institute are researching gene drive technology to curb malaria-spreading mosquitoes by reducing their egg production. This innovative genetic tool complements existing methods like bed nets and insecticides amid rising resistance challenges. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/special-reports/-gene-drive-tech-is-viable-way-to-combat-malaria--5425608
Across Africa, malaria remains a major health crisis, with the continent reporting around 270 million cases in 2024, or 96% of the global total. In Uganda, traditional interventions such as insecticide-treated nets and spraying have cut child deaths from 100,000 to 16,000 annually, but progress has stalled due to mosquito and drug resistance.
Entomologist Krystal Birungi from Target Malaria Uganda explains that gene drive technology offers a new approach. It genetically modifies mosquitoes to produce fewer eggs—up to 300 per female after a blood meal—thus shrinking the mosquito population over time.
Unlike natural inheritance, where genes pass to only 50% of offspring, gene drives ensure the modification spreads to nearly all progeny. A small release of modified mosquitoes could propagate this trait through wild populations.
At the Uganda Virus Research Institute, imported modified eggs are hatched in a secure Arthropod Containment Level Two (ACL-2) insectary, compliant with WHO standards and regulated by Uganda’s National Biosafety Committee and NEMA. Current lab strains produce mostly male offspring, which do not bite or transmit malaria.
No modified mosquitoes have been released into the environment without approval. Birungi addresses public concerns by comparing the tech to genetically modified insulin used safely by diabetics, emphasizing rigorous oversight to build trust.
This research positions gene drives as a potential game-changer alongside vaccines and other tools for malaria elimination.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)