{"id":238652,"date":"2022-09-29T23:28:05","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T21:28:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/who.africa-newsroom.com\/press\/world-health-organization-who-launches-new-initiative-to-stop-the-spread-of-invasive-malaria-vector-in-africa?lang=en"},"modified":"2022-09-29T23:28:05","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T21:28:05","slug":"world-health-organization-who-launches-new-initiative-to-stop-the-spread-of-invasive-malaria-vector-in-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/world-health-organization-who-launches-new-initiative-to-stop-the-spread-of-invasive-malaria-vector-in-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"World Health Organization (WHO) Launches New Initiative to Stop the Spread of Invasive Malaria Vector in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In a 2019 vector alert<\/a>, WHO identified the spread of Anopheles stephensi<\/em> as a significant threat to malaria control and elimination – particularly in Africa, where the disease hits hardest. A new WHO initiative<\/a>, launched today, aims to stop the further spread of this invasive mosquito species in the region.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Originally native to parts of South Asia and the Arabian Peninsula, An. stephensi<\/em> has been expanding its range over the last decade, with detections reported in Djibouti (2012), Ethiopia and Sudan (2016), Somalia (2019) and Nigeria (2020). Unlike the other main mosquito vectors of malaria in Africa, it thrives in urban settings.<\/p>\n

With more than 40% of the population in Africa living in urban environments, the invasion and spread of An. stephensi<\/em> could pose a significant threat to the control and elimination of malaria in the region. But large-scale surveillance of the vector is still in its infancy, and more research and data are urgently needed.<\/p>\n

“We are still learning about the presence of Anopheles stephensi<\/em> and its role in malaria transmission in Africa,” said Dr Jan Kolaczinski, who leads the Vector Control and Insecticide Resistance unit with the WHO Global Malaria Programme. “It is important to underscore that we still don’t know how far the mosquito species has already spread, and how much of a problem it is or could be.”<\/p>\n

WHO’s new initiative aims to support an effective regional response to An. stephensi<\/em> on the African continent through a five-pronged approach:<\/p>\n