By Alex Abutu
Some days ago, the news of the approval granted for Nigeria’s first malaria vaccine was everywhere and most people celebrated the news as the constant visitation to medical centres and pharmacies seeking treatment for the unending malaria will now be a thing of the past.
The vaccine- R21/Matrix-M, is developed by the University of Oxford and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
The approval makes Nigeria the second country after Ghana to approve its use.
Nearly half of the world’s population is at risk of malaria. In 2021, an estimated 247 million people contracted malaria in 85 countries. That same year, the disease claimed approximately 619 000 lives in countries where causes of deaths are investigated and properly recorded.
Some people are more susceptible to developing severe malaria than others.
Infants and children under 5 years of age, pregnant women and patients with HIV/AIDS are at particular risk. Other vulnerable groups include people entering areas with intense malaria transmission who have not acquired partial immunity from long exposure to the disease, or who are not taking chemopreventive therapies, such as migrants, mobile populations and travellers.
Some people in areas where malaria is common will develop partial immunity. While it never provides complete protection, partial immunity reduces the risk that malaria infection will cause severe disease. For this reason, most malaria deaths in Africa occur in young children, whereas in areas with less transmission and low immunity, all age groups are at risk.
The threat of malaria is highest in sub-Saharan Africa, and four countries in the region accounted for nearly half of all malaria deaths worldwide: Nigeria (26.6%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12.3%), Uganda (5.1%), and Mozambique (4.1%).
As far back as 2019, scientists in Burkina Faso, one of the countries facing huge malaria burden presented the entomological results of the first ever small-scale release in Africa of genetically modified mosquitoes. The scientists monitored for several months the movements and survival of 14,850 non gene drive genetically modified sterile male and non transgenic sibling mosquitoes that were released on July 1, 2019.
“The objective of the study was to demonstrate the ability to estimate the daily survival rate of the non gene drive sterile male strain of mosquitoes, to assess their ability to participate in swarming activities – which is critical for reproduction, to evaluate their dispersal in the release area, and to estimate the size of the target population at the time of release”.
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The first major finding is that the released mosquitoes participated in swarming activities in the field in the same manner as their wild counterparts. As predicted from laboratory and modelling studies, after recapturing them, the researchers found that the genetically modified mosquitoes were less mobile than their non-transgenic siblings and had lower survival rates. The transgene disappeared from the study population at the end of the released sterile males’ lifecycle.
Progress to eliminate malaria in Africa has slowed down. Burkina Faso is one of the countries most affected by malaria globally with all 21 million inhabitants at risk, over 12 million cases and close to 30,000 deaths per year (World Malaria Report 2021).
Over the past years, it has become clear that the current tools to control malaria will need to be complemented by new tools, such as genetic technologies.
As noted by the WHO statement issued in October 2020: “Recognizing the urgent need for new tools to combat vector-borne diseases, and in the spirit of fostering innovation, WHO supports the investigation of all potentially beneficial technologies, including genetically modified mosquitoes”.
An international not-for-profit consortium, Target Malaria, whose goal is to use genetic technologies to reduce the population of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in sub-Saharan Africa is making steady progress in the quest overcome the short coming of previous treatments.
Target Malaria is a research consortium that aims to develop and deploy genetic technologies to control the population of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes. The programme is a partnership between researchers from various African and European institutions and is funded by several organizations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Target Malaria’s approach involves genetically modifying mosquitoes to make them sterile or to reduce their ability to transmit malaria. The goal is to release these genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild, where they will mate with wild mosquitoes and pass on their modified genes. Over time, this could lead to a reduction in the population of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes.
In addition to its scientific research, Target Malaria is also focused on building capacity and engaging with local communities in Africa. The programme has established partnerships with local institutions and organizations to support research and outreach efforts.
While the Target Malaria programme is still in the research and development stage, it has the potential to be a game-changer in the fight against malaria. By reducing the population of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes, this technology could significantly reduce the incidence of malaria in Africa and improve the health and well-being of millions of people.
The various initiatives have shown promising results and need to be supported. Experience over the years has shown that malaria cannot be handled with the one size fit all mentality hence it is important we rely on science, technology, and innovation as the antidote to finally eradicate the scourge from Africa.
