Why I spend my days raising mosquitoes – Joannitta JOANNIDES writes
Every morning, I walk into a room full of mosquitoes. While most people spend their lives trying to avoid them, I spend my days raising, monitoring and studying them. It may sound unusual, but understanding mosquitoes helps to answer important questions about how well malaria prevention tools are performing. In 2024 alone, 282 million people […] The post Why I spend my days raising mosquitoes –…
Every day, I arrive at a place teeming with mosquitoes. While the majority of individuals strive to evade them, my daily routine entails nurturing, observing, and investigating these insects. It might seem peculiar, but comprehending mosquitoes aids in answering crucial inquiries regarding the efficacy of malaria prevention measures.
In 2024 alone, malaria afflicted 282 million individuals, resulting in 610,000 fatalities. Notably, 94% of these cases and 95% of the deaths transpired in Africa, with three-quarters of the fatalities among children under five. These figures underscore the significance of persisting malaria prevention endeavors. Nevertheless, we are also aware of what has proven effective.
The Malaria Atlas Project estimates that malaria control initiatives have thwarted more than 1.22 billion cases and 3.5 million deaths across Africa since the year 2000. Their assessment reveals that insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) emerged as the primary contributor to this advancement, accounting for 72% of the cases prevented.
This is a notable feat. Malaria prevention measures, encompassing ITNs and other vector-control strategies, have safeguarded millions of individuals. Emerging tools, such as dual-active ITNs and malaria vaccines, are further broadening the spectrum of community protection. However, we must not assume their unwavering effectiveness.
ITNs function optimally only if mosquitoes maintain their responsiveness to the insecticides embedded within them. Mosquitoes possess a remarkable capacity for rapid evolution. They swiftly develop resistance to insecticides and undergo behavioral alterations. These transformations impact the efficacy of malaria prevention tools.
Ongoing monitoring and research are indispensable to anticipate the mosquito's evolution, ensuring the continued effectiveness of existing and forthcoming ITNs amidst shifting mosquito populations. What remains unseen by many is the scientific underpinning of an ITN. Prior to a mosquito net reaching a household, it undergoes years of research, stringent testing, and quality control.
At the Vestergaard–Noguchi Vector Labs (VNVL) in Ghana, my team and I collaborate with mosquito populations exhibiting various insecticide-resistant traits. We cultivate and meticulously monitor these colonies, subsequently employing them in standardized laboratory assessments of Vestergaard ITNs, including the latest-generation PermaNet Dual.
This work serves dual purposes: quality assurance and product development, as it furnishes dependable evidence on the performance of our nets against the targeted mosquito populations. While the majority of this endeavor remains concealed from public view, it remains pivotal in guaranteeing the expected performance of our ITNs. This year, we commemorate 15 years of collaboration between Vestergaard and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, a partnership instrumental in establishing and maintaining technical proficiency for precise entomological testing in Ghana.
Concurrently, this collaboration nurtured specialized expertise in mosquito rearing, laboratory testing of ITNs, and insecticide resistance surveillance. Last year, this commitment was further solidified through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Vestergaard, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, and the Ghana National Malaria Elimination Program, reinforcing public-private alliances geared toward Ghana's Malaria elimination objective.
Each mosquito scrutinized and net evaluated transcends laboratory confines, directly contributing to the assurance of product performance expected by users. On World Mosquito Day, I am reminded that the battle against malaria necessitates a collective effort, and my role is but one among many. Yet, more remains to be done, as the fight transcends mere tool utilization; it is also about safeguarding people from a disease that intricately intertwines with evolutionary patterns and continues to jeopardize millions of lives.
The deeper our understanding of the mosquito and its evolutionary adaptations, the more equipped we become to shield communities most vulnerable to its threat. On this World Mosquito Day, let us recognize the indispensable role of scientific research in fortifying the defenses against malaria and protecting the world's most at-risk populations.
Written by urgent.news from The Chronicle Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
