Crucial questions remain regarding the engagement of Burkina Faso — and Africa — with GM mosquito trials. These need to be addressed in relation to the underlying bioeconomy of science, public engagement and trust in biomedical innovations. […]
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Contrary to claims that GM mosquito offspring would die before reaching adulthood, scientists have found evidence that the GM mosquitoes released by Oxitec have successfully interbred with natural mosquito populations in Brazil and are persisting in the environment. […] Civil society organisations from Africa and around the world have strongly criticised the release of GM “male-sterile” mosquitoes in Burkina Faso. They say that the experiment is unethical and unjustifiable as the risks outweigh the benefits. […] This briefing details the serious concerns arising from the releases of GM mosquitoes around the world, with forewarnings for proposed GM mosquito releases in Africa. […] Unapproved GE bacteria were first found in animal feed in Europe in 2014. Due to a lack of action, the GE bacteria have spread in animal farming environments, and have also passed their resistance to antibiotics on to other disease-causing microbes. […] The Environmental Health Minister of the Cayman Islands has announced that the release of Oxitec’s GM Aedes aegypti mosquitoes has not worked, the contract with Oxitec will formally end soon, and the government will not invest in this technology any furth […] Risky genetically modified (GM) “male-sterile” mosquitoes are due to be released in the very near future, in Burkina Faso by the Target Malaria research consortium. However, Target Malaria acknowledges that there are no benefits to the proposed GM mosquito release. […] Critique of African Union report endorsing the development of controversial gene drive mosquitoes for malaria ‘eradication’ in Africa and ‘enabling legislation’ for their deployment across its member states. […] Documents and correspondence released under Freedom of Information requests appear to show that the controversial release of genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands is a failed project. […] The lack of studies and reliable information impair the feasibility of using genetically modified mosquitoes in real-world conditions to control the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. […] |
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