By Abbas Nazil
An environmental health specialist, Emmanuel Agogo, has warned that rising insecticide resistance among mosquitoes, climate change and rapid urbanisation are threatening recent gains in the control of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.
Agogo, a global health consultant and Environmental Health Science specialist, gave the warning in an interview with journalists on Saturday in Abuja to mark the 2026 World Mosquito Day.
He said the increasing resistance of mosquito populations to commonly used insecticides was weakening the effectiveness of key vector-control measures, including insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying.
According to him, pyrethroid resistance is particularly concerning because of the widespread reliance on the class of insecticides for mosquito control.
He urged health authorities to strengthen insecticide-resistance surveillance so that emerging resistance patterns could be identified early and control measures adjusted accordingly.
Agogo said mosquitoes remained among the most significant public health threats globally because they transmit diseases including malaria, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika.
He noted that the threat was particularly severe in Africa, which continues to bear a disproportionate share of the global malaria burden.
Citing World Health Organisation estimates, he said 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths were recorded globally in 2024, with the African Region accounting for 95 per cent of both cases and deaths.
The specialist also identified climate change as a major factor capable of altering the spread and transmission of mosquito-borne diseases.
He explained that changes in temperature, rainfall patterns and other environmental conditions could create additional breeding opportunities for mosquitoes while allowing them to expand into areas where they were previously less prevalent.
Agogo further linked rapid urbanisation to the growing challenge, saying poorly planned cities with inadequate drainage, poor waste management and stagnant water provide favourable conditions for mosquito breeding.
He called for stronger water, sanitation and hygiene interventions as part of broader mosquito-control programmes, particularly through environmental management and the removal of breeding sites.
He advised households and communities to regularly eliminate stagnant water in containers, gutters, discarded tyres and other locations that can serve as mosquito breeding grounds.
Agogo also raised concerns about the spread of invasive mosquito species, particularly Anopheles stephensi, an urban malaria vector that has established itself in several African countries.
He said the presence of Anopheles stephensi, alongside its insecticide-resistance traits, could make malaria control more difficult, particularly in rapidly expanding urban centres.
He therefore urged African countries to strengthen entomological surveillance to detect changes in mosquito populations and behaviour before they contribute to wider disease transmission.
The expert said the increasing global burden of dengue also demonstrated the need for countries to expand mosquito-control strategies beyond malaria.
According to him, climate change, urbanisation and population movement are contributing to changes in dengue transmission patterns in different parts of the world.
He said emerging vector-control technologies could complement conventional interventions and provide additional tools for tackling the evolving threat.
Among such innovations, he highlighted Wolbachia, a biological control method being deployed in several countries to reduce the ability of mosquitoes to transmit certain viruses.
Agogo, citing the World Mosquito Programme, said the Wolbachia method had been used to protect almost 16.1 million people globally.
He also identified next-generation insecticide-treated bed nets as an important development in efforts to address insecticide resistance and sustain malaria prevention.
He stressed that no single intervention would be sufficient to tackle the changing threat posed by mosquito-borne diseases.
Instead, he called for the integration of malaria vaccines, improved disease surveillance, biological control, environmental management and other innovative vector-control measures into national health programmes.
Agogo also urged stronger collaboration among governments, researchers, communities, development partners and the private sector to expand access to innovative mosquito-control technologies and improve surveillance systems.
He called on African countries to increase investment in local research and data systems to better understand how climate change, urbanisation, mosquito behaviour and insecticide resistance are influencing disease transmission.
The specialist warned that inadequate and inconsistent funding could undermine progress already achieved in the fight against malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.
He urged governments to make vector control a sustained priority within national health and environmental programmes rather than relying on emergency interventions only when outbreaks occur.
He also encouraged individuals and communities to maintain clean surroundings, improve drainage, eliminate stagnant water and use appropriate personal protection to reduce exposure to mosquito bites.
Agogo said effective mosquito control now required a broader understanding of the relationship between mosquitoes, environmental conditions and disease transmission.
He called for sustained political commitment and increased investment in research, surveillance, WASH infrastructure and innovative vector-control technologies to protect vulnerable populations and prevent the reversal of public health gains.
