As the world celebrates World Malaria Day, scientists across Africa are exploring new solutions to reduce the spread of one of the continent’s deadliest diseases.
While significant progress has been made over the past two decades, the 2025 Report on Progress in the Fight Against Malaria in Africa warns that momentum in the fight against the disease has lost momentum. Despite continued efforts, Africa remains far from the African Union’s goal of eliminating malaria by 2030, with progress slowing since 2015 and only a handful of countries having reached key reduction milestones.
At the same time, a growing global funding gap, combined with increasingly significant challenges such as insecticide resistance, climate pressures and fragile health systems, raises concerns about a possible resurgence of malaria if investment and innovation are not maintained as priorities.
This means that researchers must investigate complementary approaches that could strengthen malaria prevention and save lives. One such approach is gene-pulse technology, a genetic method that scientists are studying as a potential innovation to complement existing interventions such as mosquito nets, insecticides, drugs, and vaccines.
Targeting mosquitoes that transmit malaria
Of the more than 3,500 mosquito species in the world, only a small proportion transmit malaria. In sub-Saharan Africa, a few closely related species are responsible for the majority of transmissions . 1
Target Malaria scientists are investigating whether gene-pulse technology could help reduce populations of these malaria-carrying mosquitoes or prevent the parasite from being transmitted from mosquito to human.
1 . Anopheles gambiae, An. coluzzii, An. arabiensis and An. funestus.
How scientists are developing gene-pulse mosquitoes
The development of gene-pulse mosquitoes is a long and meticulous process that begins in highly confined laboratory environments.
Researchers design genetic modifications and carefully introduce them into mosquito embryos using extremely fine needles, under a microscope. This procedure must be performed shortly after the eggs are laid, when the embryos are at the optimal stage of development. Only a few researchers in the world possess this expertise.
Because of the delicate nature of the procedure, not all modified embryos produce modified mosquitoes; sometimes the genetic modification fails. Scientists then identify mosquitoes carrying the modification and establish colonies in the laboratory to study the trait over several generations.
These colonies allow us to observe how the modification is transmitted and whether it is inherited at the expected rates.
Mosquito larvae are being examined in a Petri dish in the laboratory.
Photo credit: Target Malaria
Testing safety and effectiveness
Once a colony is established, scientists conduct extensive laboratory tests to study mosquito behavior and the spread of the modification.
The first studies take place in small laboratory cages, where researchers observe the interactions and reproduction between genetically driven mosquitoes and wild mosquitoes of the same species.
Further tests are then conducted in larger indoor environments, designed to replicate natural conditions, to better understand how the modification might behave outside the laboratory.
Researchers are also analysing key factors, such as mosquito lifespan, biting behaviour, ability to transmit disease, and resistance to insecticides, by comparing the modified mosquitoes to their wild counterparts.
Mathematical modelling is used in conjunction with laboratory studies to predict how the modification might spread in mosquito populations and what impact it might have on malaria transmission.
“Innovation and investment are essential in the fight against malaria, but so is transparency. People need to understand how new technologies are researched, evaluated and tested before they even consider using them,” says Dr. Martin Lukindu, Associate Postdoctoral Researcher at Target Malaria Uganda, Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) .
A long road ahead before any real-world use.
Gene-pulsed mosquitoes are still in the research stage, and all studies are currently being conducted in controlled laboratories in Europe and the United States. Gene-pulsed mosquitoes do not exist in Africa.
Before any potential use, thorough safety studies must be conducted, followed by regulatory review in the countries concerned. Community engagement and the agreement of the relevant authorities will also be essential.
“As scientists, our goal remains the same: to reduce malaria transmission and save African lives,” concludes Dr. Lukindu.
