The Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) has made significant progress in research to control mosquito populations in support of efforts to ultimately eliminate malaria in Ghana.

The Director of BNARI, Prof. Michael Osae, made this known on Tuesday during the 7th edition of the institute’s Malaria Awareness Campaign (MAC-7) and free screening, which took place at the Atomic down roundabout under the theme – “Health equity: a cornerstone for malaria elimination in Ghana.”

The event, which forms part of GAEC's 60th anniversary, aimed to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and effective prevention strategies against malaria. It was also to commemorate this year’s World Mosquito Day on the theme “'Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world'.”

Prof. Osae said that the SIT a flagship project being developed by GAEC and its partners involves rearing and releasing many sterile male mosquitoes to control wild populations.

“The release of these sterile male mosquitoes will reduce the mosquito population because wild females mated by sterile males will not reproduce, lowering malaria transmission,” he added.

He explained that the ongoing research is focused on understanding the biology of male mosquitos, including their mating behaviours, to identify the optimal irradiation dosage that will effectively sterilise them while allowing them to survive and mate.

“We are currently working to determine the appropriate pilot size for this technology. This effort led our team to some islands on the Volta Lake to assess the mosquito diversity, population size and disease transmission in those areas” he noted.

On his part, the Deputy Director-General of GAEC, Prof. Dickson Adomako, thanked the staff of BNARI for sustaining the initiative over the years and commended members of the nearby communities and the public for availing themselves to acquire the knowledge necessary to protect them against malaria.

He encouraged them to take advantage of the free screening to discover any malaria infections before symptoms became severe. “If your test result is positive, seek treatment as soon as possible to minimize the risk of complications” he added.

SIGNED

MS. SHEILA FRIMPONG
AG. DIRECTOR, COMMERCIALISATION
AND COMMUNICATION