Djibouti Friendly™ Mosquito Program

Oxitec - a leading developer of biological solutions to control pests that transmit disease - and Association Mutualis - an expert public health not-for-profit organization in Djibouti - are working in partnership to pioneer a new solution to combat the invasive urban malaria-spreading mosquito, Anopheles stephensi.  

Since the invasive malaria vector species Anopheles stephensi was first reported in Djibouti - in the Horn of Africa - in 2012, malaria has increased significantly: annual cases used to number in the hundreds; they are now being reported by public health authorities in tens of thousands.    

Recent years have seen unprecedented increases in malaria incidence in Djibouti’s capital city and surrounding communities. This urban invasion has exposed most of the country’s population to a new and very deadly threat: more than 10% of the country’s population was estimated to be infected with malaria in 2018.  

In response to a request from the Government of Djibouti, Oxitec, Association Mutualis, and the Djibouti National Malaria Control Programme (PNLP) have formed a partnership to assess how Oxitec’s Friendly™ Anopheles stephensi, currently in development, can deliver impact in communities affected by this urban malaria threat.