The World Mosquito Program in Vanuatu is part of a global, not-for-profit initiative that’s working to protect local communities from mosquito-borne diseases.
Vanuatu has a long history of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue. Large dengue outbreaks are frequent, including thousands of suspected cases in 2016 and 2017.
The World Mosquito Program and Vanuatu health authorities have been working together on an innovative approach to protect people from mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya.
We are using our ground-breaking technology to introduce naturally occurring Wolbachia bacteria to mosquito populations in Vanuatu. Once Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes are released, they breed with wild mosquitoes. Over time, the majority of mosquitoes will carry Wolbachia. These mosquitoes will have a reduced ability to transmit viruses to people, decreasing the risk of outbreaks of dengue, Zika and chikungunya.
Between July 2018 and March 2019, Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes were released across Port Vila and surrounding areas, across a population of more than 50,000 people. The project was funded and supported by the Australian Government. By releasing in the areas most at risk of outbreaks, we expect that surrounding communities will also have greater protection against mosquito-borne diseases.
In March 2019, the Vanuatu Ministry of Health agreed to continue long-term monitoring of the local mosquito population, to help measure the impact of the World Mosquito Program’s method.
Following many years of laboratory research and field trials with promising results, we have received widespread support from communities, governments, non-government organisations and regulators around the world.
In our other project sites, long-term monitoring shows that Wolbachia is self-sustaining at high levels for up to eight years after release. In areas where high levels of Wolbachia are present, we have not seen any dengue outbreaks.
Release areas
Our team in Vanuatu
Our dedicated team is working hard to monitor and support the projects in Port Vila. Together with our local partners, the World Mosquito Program employed 44 staff in Vanuatu.
Partners
