At the heart of the programme is an innovation by the WMP, which has pioneered the use of Wolbachia, a bacteria that, when present, blocks the dengue virus and other pathogens like Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever, from growing inside the bodies of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that usually carry them.
Female mosquitoes infected with the bacteria pass it on to their offspring, and it also has the effect of reducing their lifespans, helping to bring down population density in hard-hit areas.
The technique has already proven highly effective. During recent trials across Colombia, researchers reported a 94 per cent reduction in dengue infections, bringing cases down to the lowest level in 20 years.
Previous attempts to release Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes were carried out from the ground, with clouds of adult mosquitoes being released from tubes – often out of car windows.
Dr Colin Malcolm, Principal Lecturer in Genetics at the School of Life and Medical Science at the University of Hertfordshire, said rough terrain was a challenge for teams on the ground.
“You’re talking about areas that can be quite crowded, as dengue is quite often associated with settled, poverty-stricken areas,” he told The Telegraph. “The complications may be poor plumbing, poor hygiene, poor roads, which means difficulty getting around with your vehicles.”
Another challenge was the sheer number of places where mosquitoes can multiply.
“They can be flower vases, they can be roof gutters, they can be water storage tanks,” said Dr Oliver Brady, Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
“This is where Wolbachia comes in as a potential solution. Because rather than having to kill every single mosquito out there, you are trying to replace the natural mosquito population with one that can’t transmit dengue.”