World Health Organisation announces plan to sterilise male mosquitoes

World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced plans to test a
mosquito sterilisation technique aimed at containing the spread of
diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika.

The Sterile Insect Technique, a form of “birth control” for
mosquitoes and other deadly insects, has been used to tackle invasive
pests in the past. It was first developed by the United States
Department of Agriculture and has been used successfully to target
insects that attack crops and livestock, especially the Mediterranean
fruit fly and the New World screwworm fly. It is now being used across
the world to boost agriculture.

The UN health agency said it had recently observed that the technique
could prove successful in controlling some species of mosquito from
spreading diseases amongst humans.

“The process involves rearing large quantities of sterilised male
mosquitoes in dedicated facilities, and then releasing them to mate with
females in the wild. As they do not produce any offspring, the insect
population declines over time”  WHO said in the November 14
announcement.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have partnered with WHO to develop a
pilot programme for countries interested in using the technique to test
the impact on disease transmission.

Malaria, dengue, Zika, chikungunya and other related fevers account
for about 17 per cent of all infectious diseases globally, WHO said,
claiming more than 700,000 lives yearly with far greater number
suffering infections.

WHO said it has become necessary to find a lasting solution to
reducing or eradicating mosquitoes as disease vendors as half of the
world population is at risk of dengue.  “Half the world’s population is
now at risk of dengue,” Soumya Swaminathan, WHO chief scientist, said
during the announcement. “And despite our best efforts, current efforts
to control it are falling short.”  “We desperately need new approaches
and this initiative is both promising and exciting,” the official added.