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Health

WHO takes a position on genetically modified mosquitoes

Published Oct 14 2020 at 3:37 PM GMT
WHO

WHO / World Health Organization @who.int

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Key
Points
  • Each year, more than 700 000 people die from vector-borne diseases (VBDs) such as malaria, dengue, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis, among others.
  • More than 80% of the global population live in areas at risk of at least one major vector-borne disease, and more than half are at risk of two or more.
  • Taken together, these diseases exact an immense toll on economies and can impede both rural and urban development.
  • Recognizing the urgent need for new tools to combat VBDs, and in the spirit of fostering innovation, WHO supports the investigation of all potentially beneficial technologies, including genetically-modified mosquitoes (GMMs).
  • A new position statement, launched today in a WHO seminar, clarifies WHO’s stance on the evaluation and use of GMMs for the control of vector-borne diseases.
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  • Published Oct 14, 2020 3:37 PM GMT