Burkina Faso Bans Gates-Backed Gene Drive Mosquito Project

Burkina Faso has suspended the Target Malaria project, which was backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and aimed to reduce malaria transmission by releasing genetically modified mosquitoes. The government ordered the destruction of all samples and halted activities amid growing criticism that the project, which began in 2019, posed ecological and ethical risks and represented a form of neocolonialism exploiting African populations for foreign interests. President Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s administration condemned the initiative as potentially dangerous, with opponents linking the rise in malaria cases to the modified mosquitoes and accusing the African Union of complicity with foreign donors. The program had released genetically altered mosquitoes in several localities, including Bana, but Burkina Faso’s decision to stop the project marks a significant shift in the continent’s stance on foreign-funded scientific experiments. The move was praised by some activists as a reclaiming of African sovereignty over health policies. Despite Burkina Faso’s withdrawal, the project continues in other African countries like Ghana and Uganda.