GM mosquitoes proffer safety measures against malaria – Ex-NBMA DG

Dr. Rufus Ebegba, former Director-General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), says Gene Drive Modified Mosquitoes can offer new safety measures in the control of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.

Ebegba communicated this in an interview with the newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

Elegba had, on June 10, moderated a session at a workshop in Washington, DC, U.S.

Supreme News reports that the theme of the workshop was “Environmental Monitoring of Gene-Drive Modified Mosquitoes.”

The workshop was organised by Gene Valencia and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH).

“Gene Drive Modified Mosquitoes have been proposed as a potential transformative new tool to control malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.

“The transformation can be done by sustainably reducing the numbers of mosquito vectors and/or their ability to transmit pathogens,’’ he said.

Ebegba said that the workshop was basically to propose safety measures for the environment and human health prior to the adoption of gene-drive mosquitoes.

FNIH creates and leads alliances and public-private partnerships that advance breakthrough biomedical discoveries and improve the quality of people’s lives.