Page 24 - NIH Bulletin Vol. 17 July 2021 #WeMustWin

Bulletin National Institutes of Health, Malaysia Vol 17 • 2021

MOSQUITO BIRTH-CONTROL

STRATEGY TO STEM

AEDES BORNE DISEASES

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has spearheaded a
new strategic approach to reprioritise vector control under
the Global Vector Control Response (GVCR), 2017-2030. The
new vector control responses are seen as a game changer
and are gaining vast popularity worldwide. Sterile Insect
Technique (SIT) is a species-specific and environmentally
non polluting method of insect biocontrol that relies
through sustained release over a period of time of large
numbers of radiation-sterilised male mosquitoes . Mating of
released sterile males with field females leads to production
of eggs that do not hatch, and if sterile males are released in
sufficient numbers over a period of time, will lead to crush
or suppression of the mosquito population which eventually Mass Rearing Facility of sterile male Aedes aegypti at
will break the transmission of Aedes Borne Diseases (ABD). the Institute For Medical Research

SIT has a strong track record of success against a range
of agricultural pest insects and this success has led to
increased interest in the use of SIT against public health
pests, particularly the mosquitoes. In Malaysia no regulatory
requirement is required for SIT. The Aedes aegypti was reared
in the Mass Rearing Facility in the Medical Entomology Unit
and the irradiation of Ae.aegypti pupae were conducted
by Malaysian Nuclear Agency. SIT uses gamma or x-ray
radiation to sterilise reared male mosquitoes.

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