Turn on cookies to sign in
Signing in saves your progress to your Curie account. We can only do that with cookies on — turn them on to continue.
Gene-drive technology could one day wipe out malaria-spreading mosquitoes — but African nations are demanding a say in how it's governed. As field trials inch closer, debates over sovereignty, consent, and who holds decision-making power are heating up. Burkina Faso already suspended one project in 2025, signaling the stakes couldn't be higher.
Gene-drive technology — a genetic tool designed to spread a chosen trait through an entire wild mosquito population — could be a game-changer in the fight against malaria. But while the science is still confined to labs, a fierce debate is already underway: who gets to decide if, when, and how it's tested in Africa?
African scientists and policymakers are pushing back against a model where international funders and developers hold the reins. Advocates like Target Malaria's Charles Mugoya argue African nations should assess the technology on their own terms, with robust national regulatory frameworks and regional coordination through bodies like Africa CDC and AUDA-NEPAD. Others, like former Nigeria CDC chief Ifedayo Adetifa, stress that African institutions must control the data, set the research questions, and retain the right to stop trials. Not everyone wants the research to proceed at all — critics in Burkina Faso, which suspended Target Malaria's activities in August 2025, cite ecological risks, inadequate community consent, and donor dependency as dealbreakers.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: With insecticide resistance rising and existing tools falling short, gene drive could be a critical next step — but only if African nations trust the process. Governance, sovereignty, and community consent aren't just ethical concerns; they're make-or-break factors for whether this technology ever leaves the lab.
