IAEA and WHO to Develop a New Framework for the Application of Nuclear Techniques against Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Held from 2 to 4 July, the Working Group meeting was organized to continue working on a guidance document which clarifies all aspects of SIT application against Aedes mosquitoes, from SIT testing and risk assessments to the final rearing and release of sterile males. It follows an initial meeting in February 2019 in Tapachula, Mexico, during which the purpose and contents of the guidance document were agreed upon.

The members of the Working Group shared the latest developments in their respective fields of expertise. Participants from the WHO provided updates on novel vector control activities being implemented in Europe, and experts also discussed the need for community engagement and cost-effectiveness in the application of SIT. Participants visited the FAO/IAEA Insect Pest Control Laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria to observe the mass-rearing and irradiation processes of mosquitoes.

The guidance is expected to be published before the end of 2019.

In addition to FAO/IAEA staff and two counterparts from the World Health Organization, 13 experts from 11 countries attended the meeting. These included China, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States.

The SIT is an environmentally-friendly insect pest control method involving the mass-rearing and sterilization, using radiation, of a target pest, followed by the systematic area-wide release of the sterile males by air over defined areas, where they mate with wild females resulting in no offspring and a declining pest population.

Aedes mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting several dangerous diseases, including chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever and Zika. Like other vectors, mosquitoes thrive under conditions where housing is poor, water is unsanitary, and pollution is widespread—as a result, the health burden of mosquitoes is heaviest among poor, underserved communities.

Of note, vector-borne diseases account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases, causing more than 700,000 deaths annually – mainly by a different group of mosquitoes: The Anopheles mosquitoes. Many of these are preventable through informed, protective measures.  

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^[1] INT5155, ‘Sharing Knowledge on the Sterile Insect and Related Techniques for the Integrated Area-Wide Management of Insect Pests and Human Disease Vectors’