Human Health

icipe's human health research focuses on anopheline mosquitoes, which transmit the malaria parasite. Malaria is the tropics' most serious infectious disease, affecting more than 500 million people yearly, 3 million of whom die from the disease. Its effective and sustainable control in most parts of the tropics cannot be realistically accomplished without new tools and approaches for fighting both the parasites and the mosquito vectors.

Vector control and treatment methods previously effective in controlling malaria are now largely ineffective due to the growing prevalence of insecticide-resistant mosquitoes and drug-resistant parasites. Resistance to anti-malarials is emerging and spreading faster than new drugs are being developed and deployed. Thus, there is need for the development of new control methods that can supplement the mosquito-killing measures that currently target mainly the adult insects.

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